Abstract
A novel series of water-soluble hydrophobically modified poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is prepared by chemical modification of PVA, with the aim of investigating the polymer's rheological behavior for enhanced oil recovery applications. The solution viscosity of the polymer obtained is studied with respect to the polymer concentration, temperature, salinity, polymer modification, aging, shear rate, and polymer molecular weight. The solution viscosity of the PVA is greatly enhanced by the modification especially in terms of salt tolerance.