Application of a Synthetic Polymer Nanocomposite Latex in a Wellbore Cement Slurry for Gas Blockage Functions.

Abstract

Commercial synthetic polymers are a professional approach to creating versatile new materials with high-performance classes. This research focuses on controlling gas migration within cement in the early stages of cement setting through a newly synthesized butadiene–carbon nanotube (CNT) polymer nanocomposite latex. The optimized cement in these experiments exhibits the inherited combination behavior from the flexible characteristics of the polymer matrix and the mechanical features from the carbon nanotubes. The feedback of the superelastic behavior of carbon nanotubes is indicated by a 75% increase in the modulus of elasticity and a 48% increase in the flexural strength in cementitious samples reinforced with the polymer nanocomposite latex. The improvement of surface tension by the polymer latex in the slurry and enough tensile strength during cement hydration have positive control and compensatory effects in early shrinkage and resistance to the development of fissures and cracks in the hardening cement. Optimized cement slurries containing polymer nanocomposite additives dramatically reduce the critical transfer time window to about 40 min for gelatinized cement, thereby reducing the risk of gas migration during the mentioned critical period for the cement slurry.