US Patent 7244694 - Nanotube viscoelastic fluid

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7244694.html

Viscoelastic fluids have been used in the past in order to extract oil from oil fields. This patent claims the use of nanotubes to use such fluids at higher temperatures and less fluid loss. Claim 1 reads:

1. A viscoelastic nanotube fluid composition comprising: an aqueous medium; an amount of a viscoelastic surfactant effective to render said aqueous medium viscoelastic; a member selected from the group consisting of organic acids, organic acid salts, inorganic salts, and combinations of one or more organic acids or organic acid salts with one or more inorganic salts; and, a nanotube component effective to impart increased viscosity to said fluid composition at temperatures of up to about 150 C.