Application of polymethacrylate from waste organic glass as a pour point depressor in heavy crude oil

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, organic glass) is widely used as a substitute for glass, known as organic glass. During the processing and after use, there are amount of castoff. Based on the similar framework, PMMA could be useful the feed stock to synthesis polymethacrylate (PMA) used for crude oil additive. In this work PMA was prepared by transesterification of PMMA and aliphatic alcohol catalyzed by a base. The performance of PMA on heavy oil was evaluated as pour point depressant as well as viscosity reducer. The highest pour point reduction depression was achieved as 7.1 °C with the dosage of 2000 ppm PMA-1. The viscosity of crude oil was also substantially reduced from 182000 mPa⋅s to 64500 mPa⋅s. Differential scanning calorimetry and paraffin crystal morphology studies were clearly reflected that PMA affects the wax crystallization of crude oil. Base on this work, the waste organic glass can be reused as a valuable material in oil field.