Water-based polymers

Ethyl acrylate monomer is used to make acrylic resins as well as emulsion (water-based) and solution (solvent-based) polymers. Water-based ethyl acrylate... 

Water-Based Muds. About 85% of all drilling fluids are water-based systems. The types depend on the composition of the water phase (pH, ionic content, etc), viscosity builders (clays or polymers), and rheological control agents (deflocculants or dispersants (qv)). 

Low Solids/Nondispersed. Fresh water, clay, and polymers for viscosity enhancement and filtration control make up low sohd/nondispersed muds. Low soflds muds are maintained using minimal amounts of clay and require removal of all but modest quantities of drill soflds. These are called nondispersed systems because no additives are used to further disperse or deflocculate the viscosity building clays. Most water-based muds are considered dispersed because deflocculating additives are used to control the flow properties. 

Table 5. Polymers Used in Water-Base Drilling Fluids...

Lignite, generally leonardite, and lignite derivatives are appHed in water-based muds as thinners and filtration control agents. Leonardite is an oxidized lignite having a high content of humic acids, which may be described as carboxylated phenoHc polymers (59,60). Litde is known about the chemical stmcture. 

Low molecular weight (1000—5000) polyacrylates and copolymers of acryflc acid and AMPS are used as dispersants for weighted water-base muds (64). These materials, 40—50% of which is the active polymer, are usually provided in a Hquid form. They are particularly useful where high temperatures are encountered or in muds, which derive most of their viscosity from fine drill soHds, and polymers such as xanthan gum and polyacrylamide. Another high temperature polymer, a sulfonated styrene maleic—anhydride copolymer, is provided in powdered form (65,66). AH of these materials are used in relatively low (ca 0.2—0.7 kg/m (0.5—2 lb /bbl)) concentrations in the mud. 

High initial cost and environmental restrictions prevent use of oil and synthetic muds in many cases where shale problems are expected. It is necessary then to treat a water-base mud to minimize the destabilizing effect of the drilling fluid. Salts, polymers, and other organic materials are added to the mud to reduce the water sensitivity of the shale, shale sweUing, and weakening arising from mud contact, or the rate of water uptake by the shale. 

Inks. Refined kaolin is a common ingredient in a large variety of printing inks (qv). In addition to extending the more expensive polymers present, ka olin also contributes to improved color strength, limits the penetration of the ink into the paper, controls rheology, and improves adhesion. Kaolin for this appHcation must usually be as white as possible and free from oversize particles. Surface treated clays are used to improve compatibiHty with oil-based ink. Clays can also be an ingredient in the newer water-based or uv-cured inks. 

Hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties. In water-based systems, the filler should be compatible with water because filler dispersion occurs in an aqueous medium before a polymer emulsion is added. In general, most fillers are hydropho-... 

All such resin solutions are based on flammable solvents and are becoming increasingly less acceptable on health and safety grounds. There is therefore increased interest in water-based polymer dispersion floor sealers, but, to date, none offer the same improvement to flooring performance that some of the resin solutions can provide. 

Polyvinyl acetate (PVA), acrylic and other polymer dispersions have been widely used as anti-dust treatments for concrete floors for many years. In general, the polymer dispersions have been similar to those used in the manufacture of emulsion paints, and until recently have tended to be based on dispersions of relatively large polymer particles (particle size 0.15-0.25 x 10 m). Dispersions are now becoming available which offer superior performance as floor sealers. The chemical and water resistance of the various polymer dispersions which have been used in the past vary considerably from the PVA types, which are rapidly softened and eventually washed out by water, to acrylic and SBR types which exhibit excellent resistance to a wide range of chemicals. Water-based sealers are gaining wider acceptance because of... 

The fact that very low concentrations of polymer give highly viscous solutions is exploited commercially in a number of applications. The thickening action of polymers is often necessary for water-based substances, such as foods, toothpastes, or emulsion paints, but examples also occur of the use of polymers to thicken solvent-based products, such as paint stripper. 

Polydrill is a sulfonated polymer for filtration control in water-based drilling fluids [1775]. Tests demonstrated the product s thermal stability up to 200° C and its outstanding electrolyte tolerance. Polydrill can be used in NaCl-saturated drilling fluids as well as in muds containing 75,000 ppm of calcium or 100,000 ppm of magnesium. A combination of starch with Poly drill was used successfully in drilling several wells. The deepest hole was drilled with 11 to 22 kg/m of pregelatinized starch and 2.5 to 5.5 kg/m of Polydrill to a depth of 4800 m. Field experience with the calcium-tolerant starch/Polydrill system useful up to 145° C has been discussed in detail [1774]. 

A composition containing polyanionic cellulose and a synthetic polymer of sulfonate has been tested for reducing the fluid loss and for the thermal stabilization of a water-based drilling fluid for extended periods at deep well drilling temperatures [812]. 

Antifreeze agents are occassionally added to reduce the freezing point of the drilling fluid itself [756,758]. Such a water-based drilling fluid is composed of water, clay or polymer, and a poly-glycerol. The drilling fluid is useful in low-temperature drilling. 

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