Polyacrylamide, commonly abbreviated as PAM, is a versatile water-soluble polymer with a wide range of industrial and environmental applications, thanks to its excellent flocculation, thickening, and adsorption properties. Its applications span multiple key sectors, addressing critical needs from water purification to resource extraction.

1. Water Treatment: The Core Application

PAM is widely recognized as a high-efficiency flocculant in water treatment, used in both wastewater treatment and drinking water purification. In wastewater scenarios (e.g., municipal sewage, industrial effluents from textile, printing, or mining industries), PAM molecules bind to suspended particles, forming large, dense flocs that settle quickly—this simplifies solid-liquid separation, reduces turbidity, and removes pollutants like heavy metals or organic matter. For drinking water, food-grade PAM (meeting strict safety standards) is used to clarify raw water, replacing traditional alum to lower residual aluminum levels and improve water quality.

2. Oil and Gas Industry: Enhancing Extraction Efficiency

In oilfield operations, PAM plays a vital role in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and drilling fluid optimization. As a mobility control agent in EOR, PAM thickens injected water, ensuring it displaces oil more evenly through reservoirs and boosts oil recovery rates. Additionally, it acts as a friction reducer in hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) fluids, lowering pipeline friction to facilitate fluid injection. In drilling, PAM stabilizes wellbores by flocculating drill cuttings, preventing borehole collapse and protecting oil-bearing formations.

3. Papermaking Industry: Improving Paper Quality and Process Efficiency

PAM serves dual functions in papermaking: as a retention and drainage aid and a dry-strength agent. As a retention aid, it helps retain fine cellulose fibers and fillers (e.g., calcium carbonate) in the paper web, reducing fiber loss in wastewater and lowering production costs. As a drainage aid, it accelerates water removal from the paper sheet during pressing and drying, improving production speed. Meanwhile, adding PAM enhances the paper’s dry strength (tensile and tear resistance), making it suitable for high-performance paper products.

4. Agriculture: Soil Conservation and Water Management

In agriculture, PAM is used to address soil erosion and optimize irrigation. When applied to soil surfaces, it binds soil particles into stable aggregates, reducing runoff and wind erosion—this is particularly effective in sloped farmlands or areas with loose soil.  Additionally, PAM improves soil water infiltration and retention, reducing irrigation frequency and enhancing crop water use efficiency, which contributes to sustainable agriculture in arid or semi-arid regions.

In summary, PAM’s diverse applications stem from its tunable properties (e.g., molecular weight, charge density), making it a critical material in environmental protection, resource development, and agricultural sustainability. As research advances, its application scope is expected to expand further, with a focus on eco-friendly formulations and high-efficiency performance.