Abstract: A liquid treatment method includes mixing a liquid with an agent to form a mixture, aging the mixture to obtain to a predetermined condition in at least one of the liquid and the agent, and dispensing the aged mixture. An interaction between the liquid and the agent causes the predetermined condition to occur. Also, a majority of the aging occurs while the mixture is in a dynamic state. A related system includes a mixer receiving a liquid and a drag reducing agent and an aging module connected to the mixer. The mixer disperses the drag reducing agent in the liquid to form a mixture and the aging module has a flow path along which the mixture flows. The flow path has a distance sufficient for a majority of the aging to occur while the mixture is in a dynamic state, wherein the aging changes the drag reducing agent to a predetermined condition.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon streams, such as crude oil streams, may have reduced drag when an effective amount to reduce drag of a drag reducing composition is added to a liquid hydrocarbon, where the drag reducing composition includes a drag reducing latex comprising at least one plasticizer in an amount effective to improve the ability to pump the latex into a hydrocarbon composition or stream with assured flow of the latex. Latex formulations are known to cause agglomerated particles during pumping operations, and the agglomerated hard particles tend to plug check valves in injection pump equipment, but the inclusion of at least one plasticizer reduces or prevents such problems.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon streams, such as crude oil streams, may have reduced drag when an effective amount to reduce drag of a drag reducing composition is added to a liquid hydrocarbon, where the drag reducing composition includes a drag reducing latex comprising at least one plasticizer in an amount effective to improve the ability to pump the latex into a hydrocarbon composition or stream with assured flow of the latex. Latex formulations are known to cause agglomerated particles during pumping operations, and the agglomerated hard particles tend to plug check valves in injection pump equipment, but the inclusion of at least one plasticizer reduces or prevents such problems.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon streams, such as crude oil streams, may have reduced drag when an effective amount to reduce drag of a drag reducing composition is added to a liquid hydrocarbon, where the drag reducing composition includes a drag reducing latex comprising at least one plasticizer in an amount effective to improve the ability to pump the latex into a hydrocarbon composition or stream with assured flow of the latex. Latex formulations are known to cause agglomerated particles during pumping operations, and the agglomerated hard particles tend to plug check valves in injection pump equipment, but the inclusion of at least one plasticizer reduces or prevents such problems.

Abstract: A liquid treatment method includes mixing a liquid with an agent to form a mixture, aging the mixture to obtain to a predetermined condition in at least one of the liquid and the agent, and dispensing the aged mixture. An interaction between the liquid and the agent causes the predetermined condition to occur. Also, a majority of the aging occurs while the mixture is in a dynamic state. A related system includes a mixer receiving a liquid and a drag reducing agent and an aging module connected to the mixer. The mixer disperses the drag reducing agent in the liquid to form a mixture and the aging module has a flow path along which the mixture flows. The flow path has a distance sufficient for a majority of the aging to occur while the mixture is in a dynamic state, wherein the aging changes the drag reducing agent to a predetermined condition.

Abstract: Fine particulate polymer drag reducing agents (DRAs) in bi-modal or multi-modal particle size distributions may be produced simply and efficiently without cryogenic temperatures. The grinding or pulverizing of polymer, e.g. non-porous poly(alpha-olefin) suitable for reducing drag in hydrocarbons may be achieved by the use of at least one liquid grinding aid and at least two grinding processors in series. The blades of the stators of the grinders are of different configuration so that granulated polymer fed to the first processor having relatively larger gaps between blades is ground to an intermediate size which is fed to the second processor having relatively smaller gaps between blades which grinds the polymer to a second, smaller size. A non-limiting example of a suitable liquid grinding aid includes a blend of propylene glycol, water and hexanol. Particulate DRA may be produced at a size of 300 microns or less in only two passes.

Abstract: Drag reduction of hydrocarbon fluids flowing through pipelines of various lengths is improved by polyolefin drag reducer dispersions or dispersions using bi- or multi-modal particle size distributions. Drag reducers having larger particle sizes dissolve more slowly than drag reducers having smaller particle sizes. By using at least bi-modal particle size distributions drag reduction can be distributed more uniformly over the length of the pipeline where smaller sized particles dissolve sooner or earlier in the pipeline and larger sized particles dissolve later or further along the pipeline.

Abstract: Fine particulate polymer drag reducing agent (DRA) in bi-modal or multi-modal particle size distributions may be produced simply and efficiently without cryogenic temperatures. The grinding or pulverizing of polymer, such as poly(alpha-olefin) suitable for reducing drag in flowing hydrocarbons may be achieved by the use of at least one liquid grinding aid and at least two grinding processors in series. The impellers of the grinders are of different openness so that granulated polymer fed to the first processor having a relatively more open impeller is ground to an intermediate size which is fed to the second processor having a relatively more closed impeller which grinds the polymer to a second, smaller size. A non-limiting example of a suitable liquid grinding aid includes a blend of propylene glycol, water and hexanol. Particulate DRA may be produced at a size of about 300 microns or less in only two passes.

Abstract: A method for producing a particulate polymer drag reducing agent, comprising granulating a bulk polymer DRA having an average size of greater than about 100 mm in the presence of a liquid wetting agent to form a granulated polymer DRA having an average size of from about 1 to about 100 mm. The granulated polymer DRA may then be ground to form a particulate polymer DRA having an average particle size of less than about 1 mm. The “wet” granulation process may advantageously enable one-step granulation and therefore simplified production of polymer DRAs. Examples of the liquid wetting agent include blends of glycols with water and/or an alcohol. Preferred production apparatus includes use of multiple rotary jaws for the granulation.

Abstract: Temperature control and efficient heat transfer are important to producing high quality polymer drag reducing agents from alpha-olefin and/or other monomers. Many polymerization reactions are exothermic, and controlling or minimizing the exotherm combined with low reaction temperatures yields high molecular weight and, for poly(alpha-olefins), high quality drag reducing agent polymers. It has been found that a shell and tube heat exchanger-type reactor, with the inner tubes hosting the reaction mixture and a coolant circulating through the shell side gives good temperature control. The use of appropriate release agents helps to keep the inner reaction chambers from building up any polymer residue. These reactors can be operated in a continuous filling and harvesting mode to facilitate the continuous production of polymer drag reducing agent and related formulations.

Abstract: High concentration drag reducing agents may be prepared by microencapsulating and/or macroencapsulating polymer drag reducing agent. The encapsulation may be performed prior to, during, or after the polymerization of monomer into effective drag reducing polymer. If encapsulation is done before or during polymerization, a catalyst may be present, but little or no solvent is required. The result is very small scale bulk polymerization within the capsule. The inert capsule or shell may be removed before, during or after introduction of the encapsulated drag reducer into a flowing liquid. No injection probes or other special equipment is expected to be required to introduce the drag reducing slurry into the liquid stream, nor is grinding (cryogenic or otherwise) of the polymer necessary to form a suitable drag reducing agent.

Abstract: Temperature control and efficient heat transfer are important to producing high quality polymer drag reducing agents from alpha-olefin and/or other monomers. Many polymerization reactions are exothermic, and controlling or minimizing the exotherm combined with low reaction temperatures yields high molecular weight and, for poly(alpha-olefins), high quality drag reducing agent polymers. It has been found that a shell and tube heat exchanger-type reactor, with the inner tubes hosting the reaction mixture and a coolant circulating through the shell side gives good temperature control. The use of appropriate release agents helps to keep the inner reaction chambers from building up any polymer residue. These reactors can be operated in a continuous filling and harvesting mode to facilitate the continuous production of polymer drag reducing agent and related formulations.

Abstract: High concentration drag reducing agents may be prepared by microencapsulating and/or macroencapsulating polymer drag reducing agent. The encapsulation may be performed prior to, during, or after the polymerization of monomer into effective drag reducing polymer. If encapsulation is done before or during polymerization, a catalyst may be present, but little or no solvent is required. The result is very small scale bulk polymerization within the capsule. The inert capsule or shell may be removed before, during or after introduction of the encapsulated drag reducer into a flowing liquid. No injection probes or other special equipment is expected to be required to introduce the drag reducing slurry into the liquid stream, nor is grinding (cryogenic or otherwise) of the polymer necessary to form a suitable drag reducing agent.

Abstract: High concentration drag reducing agents may be prepared by microencapsulating polymer drag reducing agent. The microencapsulation may be performed prior to, during, or after the polymerization of monomer into effective drag reducing polymer. If encapsulation is done before or during polymerization, a catalyst may be present, but little or no solvent is required. The result is very small scale bulk polymerization within the microcapsule. The inert capsule or shell may be removed before, during or after introduction of the microencapsulated drag reducer into a flowing liquid. No injection probes or other special equipment is expected to be required to introduce the drag reducing slurry into the liquid stream, nor is grinding (cryogenic or otherwise) of the polymer necessary to form a suitable drag reducing agent.

Abstract: High concentration drag reducing agents may be prepared by microencapsulating polymer drag reducing agent. The microencapsulation may be performed prior to, during, or after the polymerization of monomer into effective drag reducing polymer. If encapsulation is done before or during polymerization, a catalyst may be present, but little or no solvent is required. The result is very small scale bulk polymerization within the microcapsule. The inert capsule or shell may be removed before, during or after introduction of the microencapsulated drag reducer into a flowing liquid. No injection probes or other special equipment is expected to be required to introduce the drag reducing slurry into the liquid stream, nor is grinding (cryogenic otherwise) of the polymer necessary to form a suitable drag reducing agent.

Abstract: Low viscosity, high concentration drag reducing agents may be prepared by slowly adding a liquid, non-solvent (e.g. isopropyl alcohol) for a drag reducing polymer (e.g. a polyalphaolefin) to a mixture of the polymer and the solvent (e.g. kerosene) in which the polymer is dissolved. When enough non-solvent is added, the polymer precipitates into fine particles. The supernatant mixture of solvent and non-solvent is then removed from the precipitated polymer slurry concentrate. Further solvent contained in the slurry concentrate may be removed by evaporation or further extraction with the liquid, non-solvent. The resulting slurry concentrate dissolves rapidly in flowing hydrocarbon streams to reduce the drag therein, and gives exceptionally good drag reducing results at low concentrations. Additionally, no injection probes or other special equipment is required to introduce the drag reducing slurry into the hydrocarbon stream, nor is grinding of the polymer necessary to form a suitable DRA slurry.