No abstract

Low-density heat resistamt, low-cost polystyrene (PS)/graphite microspheres were successfully synthesized via in situ suspension polymerization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that PS/graphite composite microspheres had good sphericity, and graphite particles were evenly dispersed in microspheres. Furthermore, density analysis illustrated that the density of composites was about 1.025-1.185 g/cm 3 with good suitability for carrying water. Thermodynamic testing revealed that the thermostability of the composite was dramatically improved by the introduction of graphite, which is used deep underground. In addition, the percentage of damage decreased to 1.3% with graphite ratio of 2.5% at 68 MPa. Therefore, PS/Graphite composite microspheres possess entirely feasible applications in oil exploitation as pure water carrying petroleum proppants.