Synthesis of novel modified acrylamide copolymers for montmorillonite flocculants in water-based drilling fluid

A study was conducted to treat the water-based drilling fluid through coagulation-flocculation. Innovative modified acrylamide copolymers were utilized as montmorillonite flocculants to improve drilling performance and reduce environmental contamination. A series of acrylamide copolymers was prepared by in situ free radical polymerization in aqueous medium using ammonium persulfate as a radical initiator. The chemical structure of the prepared copolymers was confirmed by FT-IR (Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) and the polydispersity indices of the copolymers determined using gel permeation chromatography. Thermal gravimetric analysis showed that the copolymers have a very high temperature tolerance, i.e. they are stable up to 390 °C. In this paper, acrylamide copolymers were used as coagulant with cationic, anionic groups or both of them simultaneously. Consequently, in order to clarify the relationship between inhibitive properties, sedimentation volume measurement, SEM (scanning electron microscope), XRD (X-ray diffraction) and contact angle were adopted. Some factors including molecular weight and molecular chain affecting the interaction between copolymers and clay particles were analyzed. Anionic sample with the highest molecular weight can reduce the interlayer spacing of the hydrated clay to the minimum. Amphoteric sample exhibits the best performance as a coagulant in comparison with other copolymers.