Design of Water-Soluble Polymers: Linking Kinetics, Structure, and Application Performance

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It is well-known that polymeric materials are pervasive in daily life and in many industrial applications. In addition to packaging and construction materials, polymers are also used in textiles, coatings, sensors, health science and cosmetics, and more. This research program focuses on designing a subset of polymeric materials: water-soluble polymers. These macromolecules dissolve and/or swell in water to achieve specific goals for various applications. For example, chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) uses dilute polymer solution injections to flush residual oil from partially depleted oil reservoirs. Flushing the reservoir with water or CO2 has limited effectiveness, as the low viscosity fluids find the path of least resistance and bypass much of the residual oil. Polymer flooding for EOR is a developing field that still has significant room for improvement; polymers will be designed with specific reservoir conditions in mind for superior application performance. As natural resources are being consumed, it is more important than ever to focus on long-term oil recovery rather than immediate solutions. Another application of water-soluble polymers is flocculation, where polymers are added to contaminated water to promote aggregation of impurities that would otherwise be difficult to remove. Polyelectrolytes can neutralize the charged impurities, such that the impurities agglomerate to form large particles and settle out of solution. Polymer flocculants are attractive because of their versatility, efficiency, and relatively low cost. Water-soluble polymers have many other applications beyond EOR and flocculation, including water-soluble films and drug delivery systems. However, many of the materials that are currently being used for these applications were developed using trial-and-error approaches, which has resulted in wasted resources. Designing polymeric materials makes it possible to tailor-make custom polymers with desirable properties for target applications; the proposed research program addresses current challenges faced by the above applications including the stability of EOR polymers and the industry-specific needs for flocculant design. The goal is to draw links between the synthesis steps, the polymer structure, and the final application performance for each material. The design framework that will be used throughout the proposed research program will make the most of available resources by relying on prior knowledge, carefully designed experiments and targeted analysis. A sequential and iterative approach will lead to optimally designed materials for each application. Also, given the varied knowledge and skills needed for the design of polymeric materials, this research program will provide an opportunity for many highly qualified personnel to gain experience in polymer reaction engineering, applied statistics, polymer synthesis and characterization, and product application performance evaluation.