Rheological Behavior of Polymeric Drilling Fluids: A Comparative Study of Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Polyanionic Cellulose, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, and Xanthan Gum

Abstract

Translator         Translator        

The use of water-soluble polymers has increased significantly in many industrial fields. Cellulosic polymers such as carboxymethyl cellulose high viscosity (CMC HV), polyanionic cellulose (PAC R), and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), along with the biopolymer xanthan gum (XG), are widely used to increase the viscosity of drilling fluids. This study analyzes and compares the rheological behavior of aqueous solutions based on these viscosifiers at a concentration of 0.4 wt. %. The results showed that only the XG solution exhibited viscoplastic behavior. While the CMC HV, PAC, and HEC solutions exhibited pseudoplastic (shear-thinning) behavior, the HEC solution displayed a high degree of shear thinning. The apparent viscosities measured at a shear rate of 10 1/s were 0.526, 0.268, 0.153, and 0.050 Pa.s for XG, HEC, PAC and CMC HV, respectively. At a high shear rate of 500 1/s, the apparent viscosities were comparable: 0.026 Pa.s for XG, 0.054 Pa.s for HEC, 0.029 Pa.s for PAC, and 0.025 Pa.s for CMC