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Peer-reviewedCC BYACS omega

Thermoresponsive Amphiphilic Polymer Emulsifier for Low-Dosage, High-Stability Oil-Based Drilling Fluids

  • Dapeng Zou1,2
  • Jun Wang1
  1. 1Northeast Petroleum University , , ,
  2. 2Drilling Fluid Company, Daqing Drilling & Exploration Engineering Corporation , ,
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Abstract

Reducing the oil-to-water ratio (OWR) in oil-based drilling fluids (OBDFs) offers significant economic and environmental benefits, yet severely challenges emulsion stability at high temperatures. To address this issue, we designed a thermoresponsive amphiphilic copolymer that dynamically reinforces the oil–water interface upon heating, thereby stabilizing low-OWR emulsions at elevated temperatures. Here, we report a thermoresponsive amphiphilic copolymer, poly(St-NIPAM-AMPS) (PSNA), synthesized via free-radical polymerization, as a primary emulsifier for low-OWR OBDFs. PSNA incorporates styrene (St) as a hydrophobic anchor, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) as a thermoresponsive unit, and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) as an electrostatic stabilizer. Systematic optimization identified PSNA-2 (St:NIPAM:AMPS = 1:1:1) as the optimal composition. At an emulsifier loading of 6 wt % and an OWR of 70:30, the PSNA-2-based OBDF achieved an electrical stability of 879 V, a high-temperature, high-pressure filtration loss of 3.2 mL, and a sag factor of 0.513 after dynamic aging at 180 °C for 16 h, meeting all industry criteria. Mechanistic studies reveal a thermally triggered interfacial self-reinforcement mechanism: above its lower critical solution temperature (54 °C), the NIPAM segments collapse, densifying the interfacial film, while the AMPS groups provide sustained electrostatic repulsion. The PSNA-2 formulation also exhibits a nontoxic environmental profile (EC50 > 30,000 mg/L). This work offers a scalable, cost-effective emulsifier design for high-performance, low-OWR OBDFs.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{zou2026thermoresponsive,
  title = {{Thermoresponsive Amphiphilic Polymer Emulsifier for Low-Dosage, High-Stability Oil-Based Drilling Fluids}},
  author = {Dapeng Zou and Jun Wang},
  journal = {ACS omega},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c08519},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13670298},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Thermoresponsive Amphiphilic Polymer Emulsifier for Low-Dosage, High-Stability Oil-Based Drilling Fluids
AU  - Dapeng Zou
AU  - Jun Wang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
JO  - ACS omega
DO  - 10.1021/acsomega.6c08519
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13670298
AB  - Reducing the oil-to-water ratio (OWR) in oil-based drilling fluids (OBDFs) offers significant economic and environmental benefits, yet severely challenges emulsion stability at high temperatures. To address this issue, we designed a thermoresponsive amphiphilic copolymer that dynamically reinforces the oil–water interface upon heating, thereby stabilizing low-OWR emulsions at elevated temperatures. Here, we report a thermoresponsive amphiphilic copolymer, poly(St-NIPAM-AMPS) (PSNA), synthesized via free-radical polymerization, as a primary emulsifier for low-OWR OBDFs. PSNA incorporates styrene (St) as a hydrophobic anchor, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) as a thermoresponsive unit, and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) as an electrostatic stabilizer. Systematic optimization identified PSNA-2 (St:NIPAM:AMPS = 1:1:1) as the optimal composition. At an emulsifier loading of 6 wt % and an OWR of 70:30, the PSNA-2-based OBDF achieved an electrical stability of 879 V, a high-temperature, high-pressure filtration loss of 3.2 mL, and a sag factor of 0.513 after dynamic aging at 180 °C for 16 h, meeting all industry criteria. Mechanistic studies reveal a thermally triggered interfacial self-reinforcement mechanism: above its lower critical solution temperature (54 °C), the NIPAM segments collapse, densifying the interfacial film, while the AMPS groups provide sustained electrostatic repulsion. The PSNA-2 formulation also exhibits a nontoxic environmental profile (EC50 > 30,000 mg/L). This work offers a scalable, cost-effective emulsifier design for high-performance, low-OWR OBDFs.
SN  - 2470-1343
ER  -