A novel thermoviscosifying water‐soluble polymer: Synthesis and aqueous solution properties

Abstract A novel thermoviscosifying water‐soluble polymer was synthesized by direct free radical copolymerization of acrylamide with a newly‐prepared macromonomer, and its aqueous solution viscosity behavior at different temperatures was preliminarily examined in both pure water and KCl brine in comparison with its homopolyacrylamide counterpart. Thermoviscosifying ability of the copolymer was clearly evidenced in both aqueous media, and the thermoassociative temperature of the copolymer decreased upon increasing KCl content in polymer solution. Under the same conditions, homopolyacrylamide shows only thermothinning behavior and viscosity loss in both pure water and KCl solution. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010