A novel polyacrylamide-based superabsorbent with temperature switch for steam breakthrough blockage

作者:Zhang, Xiaoyun; Wang, Xiangpeng; Li, Liang; Wu, Ruonan; Zhang, Sisi; Wu, Jihui; Wu, Wei*
来源:Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2015, 132(24): 42067.
DOI:10.1002/app.42067

摘要

A novel high-temperature resistant superabsorbent polymer (SAP) with a temperature switch to control its water absorbency was prepared through solution polymerization of acrylamide (AM), using N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (NMBA) and tetraallylammonium chloride (TAAC) as crosslinking agents. The SAPs were structurally characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The factors that influence the water absorbency such as total crosslinker concentration, molar ratio of NMBA to TAAC and temperature were investigated. The SAP with optimized crosslinker concentration showed a swelling ratio less than 10 g/g at 25 degrees C, and drastically enhanced water absorption capacity (190 g/g) at 300 degrees C. The water absorption characteristics can be tuned by varying the temperature. Swelling experimental results combined with crosslinking density study and morphology observation by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) clearly demonstrated that the hydrolysis of amide bonds on NMBA played a critical role in creating these previously unreported SAPs, and that the use of TAAC with an appropriate amount rendered the SAPs high-temperature resistance. This kind of SAPs has high application potentials as plugging material for steam breakthrough and channeling in heavy oil reservoirs.