Research On Polymer/Clay Composites For The Drilling Fluid

At present, although the technological level of the drilling fluid can satisfy the drilling requirements, research work most still is the preparation of material and the performance of characteristics for the drilling fluid, the thorough theoretical study is less. The theory research of applying technology should be strengthened for the drilling fluid, through the technological progresses enables the technological level of the drilling fluid to a new stage. Through combining nanotechnology and the technique of the drilling fluid in this paper, ultra-fine particle materials which were applied in the drilling fluid were prepared in micron grade, a possible way would be provided to a new scale for the technological level of the drilling fluid.The clay in the drilling fluid commonly includes layered structure, the size of slice layer is from one nanometer to one hundred nanometer, therefore, the layered clay itself is of "natural nanometer" structure, the layer structure becomes the foundation of the preparation of polymer/clay nanocomposites. On the basis of the use of nanotechnology, the preparation methods are classified into two categories which include the method of intercalated polymer and the method of polymer intercalation for polymer/clay nanocomposites, the method of polymer intercalation is also divided two kinds which include the method of polymer solution intercalation and the method of polymer melt intercalation, the method of polymer melt intercalation is adopted in this paper. Mainly because various methods of intercalated have obtained complex materials which have the same structure, and the method of polymer melt intercalation is that a kind of polymer directly intercalates the layer of clay in static conditions or in gel strength, non-solvent, simple to process, non- pollution, and suitable to industrialization, so this preparation method is not only cost-effective but also environment-friendly for polymer/clay nanocomposites.Based on consulting domestic and foreign literatures in this paper, and through a lot of experiments, using the method of polymer melt intercalation prepared LIP/clay nanocomposites and MHP/clay nanocomposites. On the basis of the use of the advanced particle size analyzer and other experimental means, the change of particle size of polymer/clay nanocomposites and clay was analysed thoroughly for the mechanism, and on the basis of the change of particle size, rheological properties and filtration properties of the drilling fluid were analysed and studied for polymer/clay nanocomposites in detail. The results show, 1.Comparing LIP/clay nanocomposites and MHP/clay nanocomposites with clay, the particle size decreased significantly, fine particles increased. 2.The mud cake which polymer/clay nanocomposites formed was denser than the mud cake which conventional clay formed, filtration rate was decreased obviously. 3 . Comparing composite materials configuration of the drilling fluid with the slurry, the yield point and viscosity were decreased significantly. 4.After LIP/clay nanocomposites which were dried were incinerated, the result showed that the higher the temperature was, the tinier mud particles were; when the temperature was five hundred, fine particles were the most.