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Ultracentrifugal studies of the degradation of a fracturing fluid polymer: Hydroxypropyl guar
Author(s) -
Budd Peter M.,
Chakrabarti Sumana
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1991.070420808
Subject(s) - degradation (telecommunications) , polymer , sedimentation , guar , guar gum , diffusion , zirconium , chemical engineering , chemistry , sedimentation coefficient , shear (geology) , materials science , polymer chemistry , chromatography , thermodynamics , composite material , organic chemistry , sediment , biochemistry , geology , telecommunications , paleontology , physics , computer science , engineering , enzyme
Ultracentrifugal techniques have been employed to investigate the degradation of hydroxypropyl guar (HPG) solutions, and of gels formed with a delayed zirconium cross‐linker, by ammonium persulphate at 90°C. Molecular weights, M , for various samples of degraded polymer were determined by sedimentation/diffusion, and an empirical relationship was established between M and the sedimentation coefficient at a single, low concentration. This enabled the straightforward determination of M as functions of persulphate concentration, cross‐linker concentration, and time at temperature. It was shown that large decreases in M occur within the first hour at temperature, but that complete degradation is not achieved. It was further shown that, when a delayed zirconium cross‐linker is used, degradation may be less effective when gels are formed and degraded at high shear rates.