What are the benefits of polyacrylamide?

In today's era of advancing modern industry and environmental governance, the application of novel polymeric materials has become a vital driver for industrial upgrading and green transformation. Among these, polyacrylamide (PAM) stands out for its exceptional flocculation, thickening, shear resistance, and customizable molecular structure. It finds extensive use across water treatment, oil extraction, papermaking, mineral processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture, establishing itself as one of the most representative polymer compounds in the field of new chemical materials.

1. Basic Overview of Polyacrylamide

Polyacrylamide is a linear polymer synthesized from acrylamide monomers (CH₂CHCONH₂). Based on molecular structure, it is classified into nonionic, anionic, cationic, and amphoteric types. Different polyacrylamide variants exhibit variations in molecular weight, ion charge, and solubility, enabling customized formulations for diverse applications.

In appearance, polyacrylamide typically presents as white granules or powder. It is highly soluble in water but insoluble in most organic solvents. Its aqueous solution exhibits exceptional high viscosity, enabling significant flocculation, thickening, lubrication, or drag-reducing effects even at extremely low concentrations. These properties make it an indispensable additive and functional material in industrial production.

2. Key Advantages of Polyacrylamide

(1) Exceptional Flocculation Performance

One of polyacrylamide's most prominent advantages lies in its outstanding flocculation efficacy. Due to the abundance of amide groups on its molecular chains, it effectively adsorbs suspended particles in aqueous solutions. Through “bridging effects” and “electrolyte neutralization,” it accelerates the aggregation of fine particles into large flocs, thereby expediting solid-liquid separation processes.

In municipal sewage, industrial wastewater, and drinking water purification, using polyacrylamide as a flocculant not only significantly improves treatment efficiency but also reduces settling time and chemical dosage, delivering substantial economic and environmental benefits.

(2) High-Efficiency Thickening and Binding Capabilities

Polyacrylamide molecules feature long chains and high molecular weights, providing outstanding thickening properties. When dissolved in water, it forms a high-viscosity solution widely used as a thickener or rheology modifier in papermaking, printing and dyeing, coatings, cosmetics, and food industries. Additionally, in the construction materials sector, polyacrylamide is commonly employed as a mortar additive or coating binder to enhance material workability and stability.

(3) Excellent Drag Reduction and Lubrication Properties

In petroleum extraction and pipeline transportation, polyacrylamide is widely applied due to its outstanding drag-reducing properties. Adding minimal amounts significantly reduces fluid friction resistance, increases liquid flow velocity, and saves energy consumption. Furthermore, its excellent lubricating properties are prominent in metal processing, paper forming, and textile printing and dyeing processes, effectively reducing mechanical wear and energy loss.

(4) Exceptional Adaptability and Adjustability

The molecular structure of polyacrylamide can be flexibly designed for diverse application scenarios. By adjusting molecular weight, ion charge, branched structure, and crosslinking degree, it can adapt to acidic, neutral, or alkaline media environments. For instance, anionic PAM is suitable for treating alkaline wastewater with high suspended solids, while cationic PAM is more effective for treating negatively charged organic wastewater.

This customizability enables polyacrylamide to meet specialized process requirements across nearly all industries, establishing it as a polymer material with immense application potential.

(5) Environmentally Friendly, Efficient, and Safe to Use

Compared to traditional inorganic flocculants (such as alum or iron salts), polyacrylamide requires lower dosages, achieves higher efficiency, and accelerates sedimentation rates. It does not significantly alter water pH levels and generates minimal sludge or secondary pollution. Its application process is relatively safe and environmentally friendly, aligning with the current development direction of green chemistry.

3. Typical Application Areas of Polyacrylamide

(1) Water Treatment Industry

This is one of the most widely applied fields for polyacrylamide. In municipal sewage, industrial wastewater, and drinking water purification processes, PAM serves as a highly efficient flocculant, promoting rapid settling of suspended solids, colloids, and organic impurities to enhance water clarity.

In water treatment plants, paper mill wastewater, chemical wastewater, and mineral processing wastewater treatment, PAM significantly boosts processing efficiency while reducing filter cloth consumption and chemical usage, substantially lowering operational costs.

(2) Petroleum Extraction and Tertiary Oil Recovery

In the petroleum industry, polyacrylamide is primarily used in the preparation of drilling fluids, completion fluids, and oil displacement agents. Its excellent thickening and drag-reducing properties improve the rheology of drilling fluids, enhance sand-carrying capacity, and reduce wellbore collapse. Additionally, during tertiary oil recovery (chemical flooding), PAM solutions increase the viscosity of injected water, improve oil displacement efficiency, and significantly boost crude oil recovery rates.

Particularly in polymer flooding technology, polyacrylamide has become a crucial method for boosting oil recovery rates.

(3) Pulp and Paper Industry

In papermaking processes, polyacrylamide is widely employed as a strength enhancer, retention aid, dewatering agent, and retention/drainage enhancer. It functions by binding with fibers in pulp to enhance paper's dry and wet strength, improve surface smoothness, and optimize printability.

Additionally, PAM reduces pulp loss, improves paper machine stability, conserves raw materials, thereby achieving energy savings, reduced consumption, and cost optimization.

(4) Mineral Processing and Metallurgy

In mining, polyacrylamide accelerates solid-liquid separation during slurry sedimentation and concentration, boosting processing capacity. It plays a critical role in coal washing, metal ore flotation, and tailings treatment. By selecting PAMs with different ionic types, optimal separation can be achieved for various mineral particle sizes and surface properties.

(5) Agriculture and Soil Improvement

Polyacrylamide also finds applications in agriculture as a water-retaining agent and soil structure improver. It adsorbs and retains substantial moisture, reducing soil water loss and enhancing crop drought resistance. Simultaneously, its molecular chains stabilize soil particle structures, preventing erosion and compaction, thereby improving soil aeration and fertilizer utilization rates.

(6) Pharmaceuticals and Other Applications

In pharmaceuticals, polyacrylamide is used to prepare drug-release materials, gel carriers, and separation media. In the cosmetics industry, it serves as an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and key additive in skincare formulations. Furthermore, it finds applications in construction waterproofing, coatings, textile printing and dyeing, and food processing, demonstrating broad industrial value.

4. Market Prospects and Development Trends of Polyacrylamide

China has become the world's largest producer and consumer market for polyacrylamide. With increasingly stringent environmental policies, demand for polyacrylamide in water treatment continues to grow. The petroleum extraction industry is also increasing its reliance on PAM to enhance recovery rates. Traditional application sectors like papermaking and mining are continuously exploring new application methods and optimizing usage effects for PAM.

Technological trends point toward developing more efficient, eco-friendly PAM products capable of handling complex water qualities. Examples include salt-resistant and high-temperature-tolerant PAM formulations tailored for specialized environments, alongside intelligent dosing systems that automatically adjust PAM dosage based on real-time water quality monitoring. This precision dosing enhances treatment efficiency while reducing operational costs.

As a high-performance, versatile polymer material, polyacrylamide has become a vital pillar in modern industrial and environmental protection sectors. Its unique chemical properties are driving green upgrades and sustainable development across multiple industries. Looking ahead, with advancing technological innovation and deepening environmental awareness, polyacrylamide will unlock its potential in broader fields, emerging as a key force propelling efficient and clean production.