Preparation and structural analysis of a comb-like polymer through functional monomer design

Partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) is the most extensively used polymer for enhanced oil recovery due to its accessibility and low cost. However, HPAM shows inadequacies in high mineralization and high-temperature reservoirs. To solve this problem, a comb-like polymer with superior salt-resistance and stability named CHPAM was prepared via direct free-radical copolymerization of acrylamide (AM) and acrylic acid (AA) with the self-designed monomer (Acryloyl-MPEG-1000). The chemical structures of CHPAM and monomers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Static light scattering (SLS) was adopted to measure the molecular weights of CHPAM and HPAM. The solution properties of CHPAM and HPAM were comparatively studied. It was found that CHPAM showed better thermal-salt stability and salt-resistance than HPAM, especially in Ca 2+ solution. This work paves a new way for the preparation of novel polymers.