Drag reduction and degradation of binary polymer solutions

Polymer-induced drag reduction has yielded great potential benefits for industrial processes after more than 70 years of research. However, the limitation of low shear stability has hindered further applications. This study investigates the rheology, drag reduction rate (DR), and degradation of binary polymer mixtures comprising a rigid polymer (diutan gum, DG) and a flexible polymer (polyethylene oxide, PEO). The solutions all exhibited shear-thinning behavior, and the mixed solution was less viscous than the pure PEO or DG solutions at the total concentration of 100 ppm. When fixing the PEO concentration at 50 ppm, the mixed solution viscosity significantly increased with the DG concentration. The drag reduction performance of the pure PEO solution, pure DG solution, and various proportions of binary polymer mixtures was analyzed using an in-house rotor device. The DRs of the solutions increased with the Reynolds number (Re), and decreased with shearing time. The binary solution significantly improved the shear stability of the solution without loss of DR compared to the pure PEO solution. The theoretical model for molecular degradation in turbulent flow excellently fitted the experimental data of relative drag reduction with time. Furthermore, the synergistic interaction parameter was calculated, and it was positive for most cases in the mixtures. Additionally, when Re was fixed, the synergistic interaction parameter, related to the composition of binary polymer mixtures, initially decreased and then increased with time.