A novel macromonomer: p-vinylbenzyl-terminated octylphenoxy poly(ethylene oxide) (polymerization number: 18) (VBPEO) was synthesized. The comb-like acrylamide-based terpolymers (PVEA) were synthesized by aqueous free-radical copolymerization technique using acrylamide (AM), VBPEO and sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulphonate (NaAMPS). The macromonomer and PVEA polymer were characterized with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR). The polymers exhibited self-assembly behavior in water and the brine solutions. The polymers could be employed in the oil reservoirs of either the high or medium to low permeability due to the low intrinsic viscosities. The optimum NaAMPS feed amount could not only increase the water solubility, but also facilitate the intermolecular associations. Implementing VBPEO into the polymer greatly increased the rigidity of molecular chains, resulting in a high apparent viscosity of the PVEA in water and the brine solutions. The PVEA brine solutions exhibited both excellent uni-and bivalent cation resistance, salt-and heat-thickening twice, pseudoplastic behavior, and thixotropy. The SEM morphologies showed that the expanded polymer bundles as well as the associated structures with huge sizes were formed for PVEA in water and that the continuous network structures were still formed in the PVEA brine solutions.
A novel macromonomer, p-vinylbenzyl-terminated octylphenoxy poly(ethylene oxide) (VBE, polymerization degree: 24), was copolymerized with acrylamide (AM) and sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-sulfonate (NaAMPS) to form a water-soluble terpolymer (abbreviation: PAAB). It exhibited remarkable surface and interface activities as well as a thickening effect in unsalted and brine solutions. The variation of surface and interface tensions with NaCl concentration was investigated; the interface tensions in water and in a 70 g L −1 NaCl solution were, respectively, 4.1 mN m −1 and 2.3 mN m −1 at a polymer concentration of 0.1 g dL −1 . The intermolecular hydrophobic associations in unsalted and brine PAAB solutions as a function of polymer concentration and the conformation of polymer chains were characterized by a fluorescent probe. The results indicated that the incorporation of long side chains could expand the polymer chains in brine solutions as well as in the unsalted solutions. The probe investigation in the unsalted and brine polymer solutions also showed that the extended monomolecules were dominant at the polymer concentrations lower than 0.05 g dL −1 and that the intermolecular hydrophobic associations were enhanced sharply above the critical association concentrations of 0.10 g dL −1 .
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