Evaluation of the effect of silver nanoparticles and bio-polymer on modified Nigeria bentonite rheological properties

Abstract

During drilling mud preparation, large quantities of imported Bentonite clay are consumed by activities to develop petroleum and underground natural resources. In this research, locally made Bentonite clay was used, its rheological properties were investigated and compared with the stipulated America petroleum institute (API) standard values. The raw bentonite obtained in Gombe state, Nigeria, was weighed, crushed, and prepared to remove the impurities at room temperature. The cake gotten was sundried and broken into powder. The clay’s swelling ability was studied using a design expert software to generate the combined ratio of 3.75g of clay, and 0.3g of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) dispersed in a fixed volume of distilled water in a measuring cylinder for 24hours. The procedure was then repeated for other runs. The clay beneficiation was done by scaling up the optimal value obtained for both clay and Na2CO3. Beneficiated clay was impregnated with silver nanoparticles (Ag/NPs) acquired from the Department of Biology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. The food gum obtained from the market was peeled and pounded; the liquor extracted was sundried and reduced to a particle size of 0.12 μm. In determining the rheological properties, a viscometer (OFITE model 900 viscometer) was used. It was observed in this study that the local made Bentonite rheological properties like plastic and apparent viscosity, gel strength, and yield point were significantly improved at various temperatures of 23°C and 100°C when compared with API standard values. Similarly, the impregnation of beneficiated clay with Ag/NPs has no significant effect on the of the Gombe Bentonite clay’s rheological properties.