Influence of molecular weight and molecular conformation of polymers on turbulent drag reduction

Abstract

An investigation was carried out on drag reduction of diluted solutions of four polyisobutylenes of different molecular weight in diversely good and poor solvents in the turbulent region at small (up to 5000) and average (from 19 000 to 42 000) Reynolds numbers, as well as of mixtures of polyisobutylene and polystyrene and of two polyisobutylenes of different molecular weight. Concentration at maximum drag reduction grows, while drag reduction itself decreases with molecular weight going down. The universal curve established byVirk et al. for aqueous solutions of a polyethylene oxide family is also confirmed for a family of polyisobutylenes in an organic solvent. The effect of polymer coils of various dimensions on drag reduction is assessed. PIB coils of various dimensions are produced in two ways — dissolving polyisobutylenes of different molecular weight in a given solvent and dissolving polyisobutylene of a definite molecular weight in diversely good and poor solvent. Coil dimensions in the solution are increasing with the growth of intrinsic viscosity of a polymer by dissolving it in still better solvents, but probably due to impeded orientation and deformation of the larger polymer coils their drag reduction is smaller at low rather than at high shear stresses. Drag reduction of diluted solutions of two PIB differing in molecular weight shows almost no deviation from the additive straight line both when the overall concentration of solutions is equal and when it exceeds the one at maximum drag reduction of PIB of higher molecular weight. Drag reduction of diluted solutions of PIB and PS mixtures at an overall concentration higher than optimum concentration shows a positive deviation from the additive straight line.