Abstract

The main target of this work is to solve the transportation problems associated with the waxy crude oil particularly the deposition of paraffin wax during transportation and storage if the temperature of the crude drops below certain temperatures. This work aims to prepare different copolymers based on vinyl acetate and methacrylic acid monomers. The reactions involve copolymerization of vinyl acetate with methacrylic acid in different monomer ratios. The prepared copolymers then esterified using stearyl and behenyl alcohols. The chemical structure of the prepared copolymers and their characteristics were evaluated using FTIR and 1HNMR spectroscopic techniques. The molecular weight of the polymeric additives was measured using GPC. The efficiency of the prepared copolymers were studied for their capability as pour point depressants (PPD) and flow improvers for Egyptian waxy crude oil to solve the problem of wax deposition during transportation and storage. The study showed that generally the CoVASMA esters were efficient in the role of both pour point depressant and flow improver for the tested crude oil.