AbstractDegradation of polyisobutylenes as a consequence of spraying jet‐fuel solutions of these polymers was studied as a function of polymer molecular weight and concentration and the spray conditions. Assessment of the degradation was made by measuring the maximum ductless siphon heighth*for sprayed samples and comparing this with prespray values. Two polymers, L‐160 from Exxon and B‐288 from BASF (Mv= 4.1× 106and 11.9 × 106), were studied to concentrations of 3000 and 2000 ppm, respectively. Degradation was found to be extremely sensitive to the air speed used in wind‐shear spraying, above a critical value of approximately 30–40 m/s. At the highest air speed employed, 135 m/s, degradation was so severe thath*values were reduced nearly to Newtonian (solvent) values, for all concentrations of both polymer additives. The implications of these results are important for designing effective antimis
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