The chemical impact of oil fluids in the morphology and thermal properties of the polyamide 11 used in flexible lines

Abstract

AbstractAs the polyamide 11 (PA11) present in flexible pipes for oil prospection is used, it also reacts with the fluid components in the oil so that not only the morphology of the polymer changes but also its properties. To see the extent of these chemical modifications and how they changed the original material, different techniques were employed, such as ATR-FTIR, DSC, TGA, and Melt-flow index (MFI), while the original sample was cut in half to measure if the direct contact with the fluid had a huge chemical influence. The results indicate that the degree of chemical changes in the PA11 part that was in direct contact with the fluid was higher, translated into the appearance of different molecules in the FTIR spectra (such as ethers, carbonates, and alkenes). These changes were also consistent with higher degradation of this half, leading to a region of higher crystallinity, which impacted the overall thermal properties of the polymer.