A Novel Polyacrylamide Film-Forming Agent for Maintaining Wellbore Stability.
Guoyan Ma, Wenjing Wei, Yanzhe Yang, Chao Hao, Yaru Zhang, Guoqiang Xu
Abstract
Open AccessA polyacrylamide-based film-forming agent was synthesized via free-radical copolymerization. FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed complete monomer conversion with no detectable residual unsaturation. Systematic variation of acrylamide (AM), vinyl acetate (VAc) and cellulose content revealed that an AM mass fraction of 3.7 wt%, a VAc:AM molar ratio of 1:3 and a cellulose content of 1.6 wt% yielded an emulsion of maximal colloidal stability. Under these conditions, the agent formed coherent, moisture-resistant films that effectively encapsulated sodium-bentonite pellets, indicating its potential as an efficient inhibitor for maintaining well-bore stability during drilling operations.