Crosslinked Vinyl Alcohol Polymer for Drilling Mud Dehydration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drilling muds and cement slurries face challenges with dehydration and viscosity elevation at high temperatures, making it difficult to maintain effective performance in well drilling applications, and existing solutions for crosslinking vinyl alcohol polymers are economically inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A vinyl alcohol polymer crosslinked by a specific structure, such as formula (1) or disulfide structure, which is insoluble in water, is used to moderate dehydration and viscosity elevation in drilling muds and cement slurries, achieved through a production method involving reactions with epoxy and mercapto groups, allowing for easier preparation and incorporation into drilling formulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional additives (starch, carboxymethyl cellulose, etc.) are added to drilling mud to inhibit dehydration, then dehydration inhibition is improved, but viscosity increases excessively making pump injection difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical structure parameters of the vinyl alcohol polymer by controlling the degree of saponification (85-95 mol%) and introducing specific crosslinking structures. This modifies the polymer's interaction with water and its viscosity characteristics, allowing effective dehydration inhibition at lower concentrations without excessive viscosity increase that would prevent pump injection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by crosslinking vinyl alcohol polymer chains through specific chemical structures (formula 1). This crosslinked network structure combines the dehydration inhibition capability of vinyl alcohol polymers with controlled viscosity properties, achieving both functions simultaneously rather than requiring separate additives
2Reliability
If conventional vinyl alcohol polymers are used to inhibit dehydration at high temperatures, then dehydration inhibition is improved, but viscosity increases making pump feeding difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the degree of saponification to 85-95 mol% (not complete 100% saponification) and introduces crosslinking structures, which fundamentally changes the thermal behavior of the polymer. This allows the polymer to maintain stable viscosity and effective dehydration inhibition even at high temperatures (up to 200°C), enabling continuous pump feeding without viscosity-related failures
3Reliability
If existing crosslinking methods (melamine-formaldehyde, acetalization, pH-sensitive crosslinking) are used to improve dehydration performance, then dehydration reduction is improved, but production cost increases due to additional reaction steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the polymerization and crosslinking steps into a single integrated process. The crosslinking structure is formed during the polymerization reaction itself, eliminating the need for separate crosslinking reaction steps and additional crosslinking agents. This reduces production complexity and cost while achieving effective dehydration reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The vinyl alcohol polymer system performs self-crosslinking through the specific structure formed during polymerization, without requiring external crosslinking agents like melamine-formaldehyde or additional chemical treatments. The polymer serves its own crosslinking function, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The crosslinked vinyl alcohol polymer effectively inhibits dehydration and viscosity increase at high temperatures, enhancing the performance of drilling muds and cement slurries while being produced in an economically superior manner.
Implementation Method 1
a vinyl alcohol polymer crosslinked by a structure represented by formula (1) and/or a disulfide structure, and insoluble in water... capable of moderating dehydration... at high temperatures
Implementation Method 2
adjusting the viscosity of the drilling mud... adding a polymer, specifically, for example, starch, a starch ether... carboxymethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose or the like as an additive
Implementation Method 3
a vinyl alcohol polymer crosslinked by a structure represented by formula (1) and/or a disulfide structure... crosslinked by a specific structure
Data Source
AI summary
Provided by the present invention is a vinyl alcohol polymer crosslinked by a structure represented by the following formula (1) and/or a disulfide structure, in which the vinyl alcohol polymer is not completely dissolved in a mixture prepared by: adding the vinyl alcohol polymer to water so as to give a concentration of 4% by mass; and stirring at 95° C. for 3 hrs. in the formula (1), R1, R2 and R3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group having 8 or less carbon atoms. Also provided include an additive for a drilling mud containing the vinyl alcohol polymer, a drilling mud containing the vinyl alcohol polymer as an additive, an additive for a drilling cement slurry containing the vinyl alcohol polymer, and a drilling cement slurry containing the vinyl alcohol polymer as an additive.