[Hazel SPRAFKE, Markus OSTERMAYR, Tobias Joachim ZIMMERMANN, Dirk MECKELNBURG, Dennis LOESCH, Faissal-Ali EL-TOUFAILI] DE DE,Ludwigshafen am Rhein Process for producing aqueous polyacrylamide solutions by polymerizing an aqueous solution comprising at least acrylamide thereby obtaining an aqueous polyacrylamide gel and dissolving said aqueous polyacrylamide gel in water, wherein the process is carried out in a modular, relocatable plant. The plant preferably is deployed at a location at which aqueous polyacrylamide solutions are used, for example on an oilfield or in a mining area.

[SPRAFKE, Hazel Anne, EL-TOUFAILI, Faissal-Ali, LANGLOTZ, Bjoern, BARRATT, John, BRINGMANN, Tobias, FONSECA ZEPEDA, Gabriela Eugenia, JECK, Sandra, LOESCH, Dennis, MECKELNBURG, Dirk, OSTERMAYR, Markus, SCHUBE, Bernd, SOETJE, Oliver] {Carl-Bosch-Str. 3867056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein;DE(DE)(DE)} A method for preparing an aqueous polyacrylamide solution is disclosed. The method comprises: - hydrating acrylonitrile in water in presence of a biocatalyst capable of converting acrylonitrile to acrylamide so as to obtain an acrylamide solution, - directly polymerizing the acrylamide solution so as to obtain a polyacrylamide gel, and - directly dissolving the polyacrylamide gel by addition of water so as to obtain an aqueous polyacrylamide solution. A method for preparing an aqueous polyacrylamide solution is disclosed. The method comprises: - hydrating acrylonitrile in water in presence of a biocatalyst capable of converting acrylonitrile to acrylamide so as to obtain an acrylamide solution, - directly polymerizing the acrylamide solution so as to obtain a polyacrylamide gel, and - directly dissolving the polyacrylamide gel by addition of water so as to obtain an aqueous polyacrylamide solution.

[EL-TOUFAILI, Faissal-Ali, LOESCH, Dennis, SCHMIDT, Anna-Corina, ZIMMERMANN, Tobias Joachim, OSTERMAYR, Markus, TINSLEY, Jack, BUSBY, Brent] {Carl-Bosch-Strasse 3867056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein;DE(DE)(DE)} Process of fracturing subterranean, oil-and/or gas-bearing formations by injecting an aqueous fracturing fluid into a wellbore at a rate and pressure sufficient to penetrate into the formation, and to initiate or extend fractures in the formation, wherein the aqueous fracturing fluid is obtained by mixing at least an aqueous base fluid and an aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate having a concentration of 3.1to 14.9 % by weight of polyacrylamides, relating to the total of all components of the aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate, and wherein at least a part of the aqueous fracturing fluid injected additionally comprises a proppant. Process of fracturing subterranean, oil-and/or gas-bearing formations by injecting an aqueous fracturing fluid into a wellbore at a rate and pressure sufficient to penetrate into the formation, and to initiate or extend fractures in the formation, wherein the aqueous fracturing fluid is obtained by mixing at least an aqueous base fluid and an aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate having a concentration of 3.1to 14.9 % by weight of polyacrylamides, relating to the total of all components of the aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate, and wherein at least a part of the aqueous fracturing fluid injected additionally comprises a proppant.

[Faissal-Ali EL-TOUFAILI, Dennis LOESCH, Anna-Corina SCHMIDT, Tobias Joachim ZIMMERMANN, Markus OSTERMAYR, Jack F. TINSLEY, Brent BUSBY, Daniel BARRERA-MEDRANO] DE DE,Ludwigshafen am Rhein Process of providing polyacrylamides to a site-of-use comprising at least the steps of mixing a polyacrylamide powder at a manufacturing site with an aqueous liquid, thereby obtaining a homogeneous aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate, transporting said concentrate in a transport unit from the manufacturing site to the site-of-use, and removing the homogeneous aqueous concentrate from the transport unit at the site-of-use. Process of treating subterranean, oil and/or gas bearing formations by injecting an aqueous treatment fluid into at least one wellbore, wherein the aqueous treatment fluid is manufactured by mixing at least an aqueous base fluid with said homogeneous aqueous polyacrylamide concentrate at the site-of-use.

[UWE STUEVEN, MATTHIAS WEISMANTEL, WILFRIED HEIDE, MARCO KRUEGER, VOLKER SEIDL, STEFAN BLEI, DENNIS LOESCH, RUEDIGER FUNK, ANNEMARIE HILLEBRECHT] DE A PROCESS FOR PREPARING POSTCROSSLINKED WATER-ABSORBING POLYMER BEADS WITH HIGH ABSORPTION BY POLYMERIZING DROPLETS OF A MONOMER SOLUTION IN A GAS PHASE SURROUNDING THE DROPLETS, WHEREIN THE SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE MONOMER SOLUTION IS AT LEAST 35% BY WEIGHT AND THE POLYMER BEADS HAVE A MEAN DIAMETER OF AT LEAST 150 µm.

[Hazel Sprafke, Tobias Joachim Zimmermann, Dirk Meckelnburg, Dennis Loesch, Markus Ostermayr, Faissal-Ali El-Toufaili] DE DE,Ludwigshafen am Rhein Process for producing aqueous polyacrylamide solutions by polymerizing an aqueous solution comprising at least acrylamide thereby obtaining an aqueous polyacrylamide gel and dissolving said aqueous polyacrylamide gel in water, wherein the manufacturing steps are allocated to two different locations A and B and the process comprises the step of transporting an aqueous polyacrylamide gel hold in a transportable polymerization unit from a location A to a location B. The transportable polymerization unit comprises a cylindrical upper part, a conical part at its lower end, feeds for the aqueous monomer solution, a closable bottom opening, and means allowing to deploy the polymerization unit in a vertical manner.

[LOESCH DENNIS, WEIDL CHRISTIAN HUBERT, SEIDL VOLKER] DE Process for producing polymers by spray polymerization wherein the monomer solution is dispersed in a hydrophobic liquid, the use of the polymers for thickening liquids and also an apparatus for producing polymers by spray polymerization.

[Sandra JECK, Oliver SOETJE, Tobias BRINGMANN, Gabriela Eugenia FONSECA ZEPEDA, Dirk MECKELNBURG, Dennis LOESCH, Bjoern LANGLOTZ, John BARRATT, Faissal-Ali EL-TOUFAILI, Hazel SPRAFKE, Bernd SCHUBE, Markus OSTERMAYR] DE DE,Ludwigshafen am Rhein A process for producing an aqueous polymer solution, including: (a) providing a hydrated polymer that has been prepared by aqueous solution polymerisation of ethylenically unsaturated monomers, which hydrated polymer contains at least 10% by weight active polymer; (b) cutting the hydrated polymer by subjecting the hydrated polymer to at least one cutting stage containing at least one stream of aqueous liquid at a pressure of at least 150 bar to reduce the size of the hydrated polymer; and (c) dissolving the hydrated polymer in an aqueous liquid so as to obtain an aqueous polymer solution. An apparatus for producing an aqueous polymer solution.

[Dennis Loesch, Volker Seidl, Martin Ruebenacker] DE,,Altrip;DE,,Mannheim;DE,,Altrip; A process for producing a polymer powder comprising vinylformamide units by free radical polymerization of an aqueous solution of N-vinylformamide and if appropriate other monomers and drying the polymer which comprises an aqueous monomer solution comprising N-vinylformamide and at least one polymerization initiator being spray dispensed as an aerosol or dropletized at the top of a heatable tower-shaped reactor, then polymerizing the aerosol or droplets in an inert gas atmosphere to form a finely divided solid and discharging the finely divided polymer from the reactor.

[BARRERA-MEDRANO, Daniel, EL-TOUFAILI, Faissal-Ali, SCHMIDT, Anna-Corina, TINSLEY, Jack, F, BUSBY, Brent, LOESCH, Dennis, OSTERMAYR, Markus, ZIMMERMANN, Tobias Joachim] {Carl-Bosch-Strasse 3867056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein;DE(DE)(DE)} Method of manufacturing an aqueous polyacrylamide premix, wherein the aqueous polyacrylamide premix is prepared by mixing a polyacrylamide inverse emulsion or a liquid dispersion polymer comprising polyacrylamides with an aqueous fluid thereby obtaining an aqueous premix comprising at least water, an organic hydrophobic liquid and polyacrylamides, wherein the polyacrylamide concentration is from 2 to 19.9 % by weight of polyacrylamides and allowing the aqueous premix to ripen for a certain time. Use of such an aqueous premix for various applications, in particular for hydraulic fracturing and enhanced oil recovery. Method of manufacturing an aqueous polyacrylamide premix, wherein the aqueous polyacrylamide premix is prepared by mixing a polyacrylamide inverse emulsion or a liquid