Carbon microspheres prepared from soluble starch hydrothermal carbonization for extending thermal stability of water-based drilling fluid

Abstract

This study employed hydrothermal carbon microspheres (HCMs) as high-temperature stabilizers in drilling fluids. The HCMs were synthesized through a green hydrothermal carbonization method, using soluble starch as the precursor. The impact of HCMs on the thermal stability of xanthan, polyanionic cellulose and synthetic polymer solutions was assessed by comparing their rheological changes before and after thermal aging. The rheology and filtration properties of a polymer-based drilling fluid in the presence of HCMs were recorded before and after dynamic thermal aging at various temperatures for 16 h and static thermal aging at 200 °C for 96 h. The results demonstrated that HCMs effectively maintained stable rheology and low filtration loss following dynamic hot rolling at various temperatures and prolonged static thermal aging, surpassing the performance of conventional Na2SO3 and nano-SiO2 stabilizers. Mechanistic studies, including dissolved oxygen measurements, free radical detection, and cryo-scanning electron microscopy observations, revealed that HCMs can consume dissolved oxygen, scavenge free radicals, and physically crosslink polymers. This process prevents polymer thermo-oxidative degradation and ensures the stability of the drilling fluid. HCMs are novel, stable, sustainable, and highly effective high-temperature stabilizers for water-based drilling fluids. This study introduces a new application of biomass-derived hydrothermal carbonaceous materials for high-temperature drilling.