Drag reducing agents are long polymeric chains which help reduce turbulence at the pipe wall by affecting turbulent eddy size and reducing fluid drag on pipe wall. Being long chains, the DRA chemicals suffer from shear degradation when long molecules get sheared and broken by the flow.
It is widely used in the transportation of crude oil, petroleum products, and even water in pipelines to increase the efficiency of the transmission system.
DRAs typically reduce turbulence by creating a thin film on the inner wall of the pipe or by influencing the fluid flow. This reduction in turbulence results in less energy being used to transport fluids, resulting in a reduction in the pressure required to transport the fluid.
Technical Characteristics of DRA consists of high molecular weight polymers:
| Other names | flow improvers, pipeline friction reducers, DRA |
| SG @ 16 °C | 1 |
| Flash point | > 93 °C |
| Pour point | 0 °C |
| Viscosity @ 16 °C | 298.5 cP |
| pH | 5-9 |
Applications
– Friction reducer in pipelines
– Parallelization of flow lines in the turbulent region
– Reducing flow loss caused by friction in pipelines
Environmental impact of DRA
Drag Reducing Agents (DRA) generally do not pose significant environmental risks if used and managed properly.
Safety Measures and Regulations for Handling DRA
The storage condition of the product shall be as cool and dark as possible. The best storage condition: the temperature shall be 0 ℃ to 60 ℃, and the storage environment shall be dark. The limiting storage temperature is from -5℃ to 70 ℃. The closer the limiting storage temperature is, or the higher the limiting storage temperature is, the physical form of the drag reducer may be damaged and the use of the drag reducer may be difficult.
Packing
This chemical is packed in 200 kg barrels or IBC.