General Objective: Prepare water-based drilling fluids using biopolymers and 2D nanoparticles such as graphene sheets or 2D nano-clays (vermiculite).
Specific objectives
- Dispersion (exfoliation) in aqueous medium of 2D nanoparticles: Obtaining improved protocols for optimizing the dispersion and colloidal stabilization of 2D macromolecules. The latter will be achieved through exfoliation by REDOX processes (in the case of Graphene) or exfoliation processes by electrostatic repulsion using lithium salts (in the case of vermiculite).
- Phase Diagrams: Construction of a phase diagram for the compounds Xanthan Gum/Graphene Oxide (GO), Reduced Graphene (RGO), Vermiculite-2D (VNC) in order to identify the best formulations that exhibit improved colloidal stability . At this point, the degradation of the compound will be evaluated in the same way in order to find the formulation with optimal characteristics.
- Physicochemical characterization: Study of the structural and optical properties of the compounds in order to confirm their morphology. Likewise, this characterization makes it possible to guarantee that the intrinsic properties of the host molecules and the polymeric matrix do not exhibit significant changes during the different manufacturing stages.
- Characterization of the Viscoelastic and Filtration Properties: Characterization of the viscoelastic and filtration behavior of the formulations manufactured in the preceding stages.
- This will be done through the characterization of its rheological properties and the evaluation of fluid loss properties in a laboratory model system.
- Modeling: Development of a simple computational and experimental analog simulation method that allows studying the flow of fluids in an artificial porous/granular system.
- Dissemination program: Dissemination of the results through specialized publications and magazines, patents and contributions to congresses; socialize the progress of the project through the available communication channels: Web of the Faculty and the University of channels of diffusion of projects, CEDIA etc.
Participating Institutions:
YACHAY, EPN, ESPE.
Participants:
Project Director Eng. Camilo Zamora Ledezma, PhD.
- Camilo Zamora Ledezma
- Ernesto Medina Dagger
- Daniela Navas
- Christian Narvaez
- Oswaldo Mauricio González Mosquera
- Luis Carrion
- Patricia Ponton
Awarded budget: $37872
Project status: Signing of agreements.
