Research Progress of Intelligent Polymer Plugging Materials

Abstract

Intelligent polymers have become the focus of attention worldwide. Intelligent polymer materials through organic synthesis methods are used to make inanimate organic materials become “feeling” and “sentient”. Intelligent polymer materials have been applied in actual engineering production, and they are becoming a new research topic for scientists in various fields and countries, especially in the areas of drilling and plugging. The development of intelligent polymer materials can provide new solutions and technical means for drilling and plugging. Unlike traditional plugging materials, intelligent polymer plugging materials can cope with environmental changes. They have the characteristics of a strong target, good plugging effect, and no damage to the reservoir. However, there are currently no reviews on intelligent polymer plugging materials in the drilling field, so this paper fills that gap by reviewing the research progress of intelligent polymer plugging materials. In addition, this paper describes the mechanism and application status of intelligent polymer shape-memory polymers, intelligent polymer gels, intelligent polymer membranes, and intelligent polymer bionic materials in drilling and plugging. It is also pointed out that some intelligent polymer plugging materials still have problems, such as insufficient toughness and a poor resistance to salt and high temperature. At the same time, some suggestions for future research directions are also presented for reference.

Development and Characterization of the Shale Stratum Well Wall Stabilized with Nanosomal Sealing Agent

“…In addition, the modification of the silane-coupling agent is the most commonly used and traditional modification method [ 26 , 27 ]. The chemical bond theory [ 28 ] suggests that organic silane-coupling agents first undergo hydrolysis under the action of moisture in the air, and then dehydrate and condense to form oligomers. These oligomers subsequently establish hydrogen bonds with the hydroxyl groups which are present on the silica surface and undergo a dehydration reaction through heating and drying to produce partial covalent bonds, thereby covering the surface of the silica with silane-coupling agents.…”

A Self-Healing Gel with an Organic–Inorganic Network Structure for Mitigating Circulation Loss

“…Traditional bridging materials widely used to address lost circulation problems have certain limitations, including poor compatibility with fractures and difficulty in forming high-strength plugging layers. Therefore, there is a need to develop new lost circulation material (LCM) with strong adaptability and excellent resistance to scouring [8,9].…”

A Review of Research Progress on the Performance of Intelligent Polymer Gel

“…Compared to the traditional gels, responsive intelligent polymer gels can feel external environmental stimuli, such as temperature, light, electric field, pH, chemical substances (glucose), mechanical stress [ 1 , 2 ], magnetic field [ 3 , 4 ], and salt [ 5 , 6 ], and can adapt to environmental changes by changing their structure. Different intelligent polymer gels have different application fields: traditional intelligent polymer gels are mainly based on synthetic polymers, the synthetic process of this kind of material is complex and the cost is high; the important factors that restrict the development of such gels are poor biocompatibility and not being easy to degrade; therefore, the application development field is limited [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. However, a variety of intelligent polymer gels made from natural polymer materials can solve these shortcomings perfectly; with good biocompatibility, easy degradation, and other excellent performance, they can play a more critical role in drug controlled release, tissue engineering, biomimetic intelligent materials, and other fields [ 12 , 13 ].…”