Process for friction reduction during ethanol transport

Abstract

This invention involves a process for reducing friction in ethanol during its transport through pipelines. This process involves combining ethanol with a polymer-based composition, characterized in that the polymer is obtained from at least 50 mol % of at least one monomer selected from the group comprising N-substituted acrylamides, N-substituted methacrylamides, N,N-substituted acrylamides, N,N-substituted methacrylamides, substituted acrylates and substituted methacrylates.

Claims

1. A process for reducing friction during ethanol transport through pipelines, the process comprising combining ethanol with a polymer-based composition comprising a polymer obtained from at least 50 mol % of at least one non-ionic monomer selected from the group consisting of N-substituted acrylamides, N-substituted methacrylamides, N,N-substituted acrylamides, N,N-substituted methacrylamides, substituted acrylates and substituted methacrylates, wherein the quantity of polymer combined with ethanol ranges between 5 and 5,000 ppm in weight as regards the weight of ethanol.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer has a molecular weight ranging between 0.5 and 25 million g/mol.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the at least one monomer has a substituted chain containing less than 30 carbon atoms.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the N-substituted acrylamide monomers, N-substituted methacrylamide monomers, N,N-substituted acrylamide monomers and N,N-substituted methacrylamide monomers are selected from the group consisting of N-ethylacrylamide, N-isopropylacrylamide, N-tert-Butylacrylamide, Diacetoneacrylamide, N-hydroxyethylacrylamide, N-hydroxymethylacrylamide, N-alkyl acrylamide, N-[Tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl]acrylamide, N-acryloylmorpholine, N,N-Dimethylacrylamide, N,N-diethylacrylamide and N,N-dialkylacrylamide; alkyl representing an alkyl group comprising 3 to 22 carbon atoms.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the substituted acrylate monomers and substituted methacrylate monomers are selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, other alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate, isobornyl acrylate, isobornyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, Hydroxyethyl acrylate, Hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, furfuryl acrylate, furfuryl methacrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate, glyceryl acrylate, glyceryl methacrylate, glycidyl acrylate, and glycidyle methacrylate; alkyl representing an alkyl group comprising 5 to 22 carbon atoms.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer additionally includes 5 mol % to less than 40 mol % of at least one ionic monomer.

7. The process according to claim 6, wherein the ionic monomer is an anionic monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, and 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (ATBS), the said anionic monomer being in its acid form, salified either partially or completely.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer includes at least 80 mol % of the at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of N-substituted acrylamides, N-substituted methacrylamides, N,N-substituted acrylamides, N,N-substituted methacrylamides, substituted acrylates and substituted methacrylates.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is a polymer selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylacrylamide homopolymer, N,N-diethylacrylamide homopolymer, N,N-dimethylacrylamide copolymer and acrylic acid copolymer, N,N-diethylacrylamide copolymer and acrylic acid copolymer, N,N-dimethylacrylamide copolymer and 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid copolymer and N,N-diethylacrylamide copolymer and 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid copolymer.

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is obtained by a gel synthesis process.

11. The process according to claim 1, wherein the composition additionally comprises water and/or ethanol.

12. The process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is obtained from at least 50 mol % of at least one non-ionic monomer selected from the group consisting of N-substituted acrylamides, N-substituted methacrylamides, N,N-substituted acrylamides, and N,N-substituted methacrylamides.

13. The process according to claim 1, wherein the ethanol is bioethanol.

14. The process according to claim 2, wherein the at least one monomer has a substituted chain containing at least 30 carbon atoms.

15. The process according to claim 2, wherein the N-substituted acrylamide monomers, N-substituted methacrylamide monomers, N,N-substituted acrylamide monomers and N,N-substituted methacrylamide monomers are selected from the group consisting of N-ethylacrylamide, N-isopropylacrylamide, N-tert-Butylacrylamide, Diacetoneacrylamide, N-hydroxyethylacrylamide, N-hydroxymethylacrylamide, N-alkyl acrylamide, N-[Tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl]acrylamide, N-acryloylmorpholine, N,N-Dimethylacrylamide, N,N-diethylacrylamide and N,N-dialkylacrylamide; alkyl representing an alkyl group comprising 3 to 22 carbon atoms.

16. The process according to claim 2, wherein the substituted acrylate monomers and substituted methacrylate monomers are selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, other alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate, isobornyl acrylate, isobornyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, Hydroxyethyl acrylate, Hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, furfuryl acrylate, furfuryl methacrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl acrylate, tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate, glyceryl acrylate, glyceryl methacrylate, glycidyl acrylate, and glycidyle methacrylate; alkyl representing an alkyl group comprising 5 to 22 carbon atoms.

17. The process according to claim 2, wherein the polymer additionally includes at least 40 mol % of at least one ionic monomer.

18. The process according to claim 17, wherein the ionic monomer is an anionic monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, and 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (ATBS), the said anionic monomer being in its acid form, salified either partially or completely.

19. The process according to claim 18, wherein the polymer includes at least 80 mol % of the at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of N-substituted acrylamides, N-substituted methacrylamides, N,N-substituted acrylamides, N,N-substituted methacrylamides, substituted acrylates and substituted methacrylates.

20. The process according to claim 19, wherein the polymer is a polymer selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylacrylamide homopolymer, N,N-diethylacrylamide homopolymer, N,N-dimethylacrylamide copolymer and acrylic acid copolymer, N,N-diethylacrylamide copolymer and acrylic acid copolymer, N,N-dimethylacrylamide copolymer and 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid copolymer and N,N-diethylacrylamide copolymer and 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid copolymer.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1: DMA Homopolymer

(1) An aqueous phase is prepared by combining 520 g of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) with 978.2 g permuted water. The pH is adjusted to 5 by adding 1.8 g acetic acid. Many additives are added to the aqueous phase: 0.04 g of a sodium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate solution at 40%, 0.01 g sodium hypophosphite and 1.5 g azo-bis-isobutyronitrile. Polymerisation is carried out in adiabatic conditions by adding an oxidation-reduction couple (typically sodium persulfate/iron salt II). The temperature rises to 70° C. in 4 hours. The finished product is a gel that is dried, ground and crushed to get the required product in powdered form.

Example 2: DMA/ATBSNa Copolymer 95/5 (mol %)

(2) The protocol used for example 1 has been used again but the composition of the aqueous phase has been modified: 494 g of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), 120.25 g of the acrylamido-methyl-propyl-sulfonic acid (ATBSNa) sodium salt solution at 50%, 2.25 g acetic acid to attain a pH of 4 and 883.5 g permuted water.

Example 3: DMA/ADAMQUAT Copolymer 95/5 (mol %)

(3) The protocol used for example 1 has been used again but the composition of the aqueous phase has been modified: 493.75 g N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), 63.55 g of an acryloyl-ethyl-trimethylammonium chloride solution (ADAMQUAT) at 80%, 9.125 g acetic acid to attain a pH of 4.2 and 933.575 g permuted water.

Example 4: Assessment of Friction Reduction

(4) The friction reduction in ethanol was assessed in the turbulent regime by using a flow loop system. A 3 meter tube with a diameter of ⅛ inches (⅛″) is used. At 20° C. and a flow rate of 60 L/h, the Reynolds number applied is 12,000.

(5) Monitoring the friction reducing effect is done by measuring the loss of load in the tube.

(6) The tested polymers were dissolved in ethanol beforehand at 10,000 ppm (mother solution). This helps to verify whether all the prepared polymers exhibit good solubility in ethanol.

(7) The results are given in table 1 below.

(8) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Assessment of the friction reduction Polymer Nature of concen- Reduction in Reduction in the polymer tration Pressure pressure friction None / 11.8 bar / / N,N-DMA 100 ppm 7.8 bar 4 bar 34% Homopolymer (example 1) N,N-DMA/ 50 ppm 8.4 bar 3.4 bar 29% ATBSNa Copolymer (95/5 mol %) (example 2) N,N-DMA/ 100 ppm 7.8 bar 4 bar 34% ATBSNa Copolymer (95/5 mol %) (example 2) ATBS 100 ppm 9.8 bar 2 bar 17% Homopolymer (counter-example) ATBS/AcM 100 ppm 9 bar 2.8 bar 24% Copolymer (60/40 mol %) (counter-example) AcM = Methyl acrylate

(9) The results of the experiments show that polymers according to the invention (examples 1 and 2) can effectively reduce friction during ethanol transport.

(10) Even if the polymers comprising ATBS (counter-examples in table 1) are also able to reduce friction, its improvement is significantly lower as a result of the presence of polymers in this invention.

(11) A new series of experiments were carried out by studying the stability of the polymer on the basis of time. By way of comparison, a PEG (polyethylene glycol) with a molecular weight of 900,000 being considered an efficient friction reducer for ethanol (BR200900355), was studied. The results are given in table 2 below.

(12) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Assessment of the friction reduction on the basis of time Polymer Nature of concen- Reduction in Reduction in the polymer tration Pressure pressure friction None / 13.3 bar / / PEG 100 ppm 7.6 bar 5.7 bar 43% (Mw = (after 10 sec) 900,000) 11.4 bar 1.9 bar 14% (after 5 min) N,N-DMA/ 100 ppm 7.9 bar 5.4 bar 41% ADAMQUAT (after 10 sec) Copolymer 7 bar 6.3 bar 47% (95/5 mol %) (after 5 min) (example 3) 6.5 bar 6.8 bar 51% (after 10 min)

(13) It seems that the polymer according to the invention (example 3) remains stable on the basis of time and its friction reducing power is not affected even after 10 minutes. The PEG reference does not exhibit this kind of stability. After only 5 minutes, its effectiveness is reduced by a factor of 3.

(14) The results of the experiments prove that the polymers according to the invention (examples 1 to 3) can effectively reduce friction during ethanol transport.