Flow Modifiers
Many chemical additives are known to improve the rheological behavior (greater viscosity and/or greater stability and/or greater brine tolerance and/or lower shear sensitivity and/or faster rehealing if micelles are disrupted, for example by shear). Such materials are typically called co-surfactants, rheology modifiers, or rheology enhancers, etc., and typically are alcohols, organic acids such as carboxylic acids and sufonic acids, sulfonates, and others. Such materials often have different effects, depending upon their exact composition and concentration, relative to the exact surfactant composition (for example hydrocarbon chain lengths of groups in the surfactant and co-surfactant) and concentration. For example, such materials may be beneficial at some concentrations and harmful (lower viscosity, reduced stability, greater shear sensitivity, longer rehealing times) at others. (US Patent 7,402,549 (7/22/2008))
Recent US Patents
To go to the text version of the patent, click on US Patent Number Search and enter the patent number in the search box. 4/14/2009 7,517,472 Blend of viscosity modifier and luminescent compound 7/29/2008 7,405,249 High flow polyester composition, method of manufacture, and uses thereof 7/22/2008 7,402,549 Viscoelastic surfactant rheology modification 7,402,235 Viscosity improver compositions providing improved low temperature characteristics to lubricating oils
Recent Journal Articles
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Review Articles
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Editor's Notes
As the literature is reviewed, and items of interest concerning this topic are found. These may be added in an abbreviated form with the reference. Readers and contributors are invited to add their own notes. Contributors may add them directly and other readers can simply send their notes to the editor, Roger Corneliussen at rcorneliussen@4spe.org. He may edit and add them to this page at his discretion.