Drag Reduction Performance and Stability of an Organic Polymer, Surfactant, and Their Complexes
Hayder A. Abdulbari, Rasidah Amir
Abstract
Abstract Long‐chained polymeric drag‐reducing agents suffer from mechanical degradation when exposed to a high‐shearing environment during the transportation of liquids in turbulent flow mode. Improving the polymer's resistance to shear forces using chemical methods is time‐consuming and associated with high costs. The drag reduction performance and stability of xanthan gum polymer, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactant, and their physically formed complexes were investigated using a high‐shear rotating‐disk apparatus. The results demonstrated that all the examined additives could act as effective drag‐reducing agents, and their complexes showed modified mechanical degradation and drag reduction performances.