Elevated temperature and pressure performance of water based drilling mud with green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles and biodegradable polymer

作者：Milad Khashay, Mohammad Zirak, James J. Sheng, Tarek Ganat, Ehsan Esmaeilnezhad · 发表于：Scientific Reports · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1038/s41598-025-96900-z · 被引用次数：23 · 研究领域：Drilling and Well Engineering、Hydraulic Fracturing and Reservoir Analysis、Tunneling and Rock Mechanics

Abstract Water-based mud (WBM) faces challenges in high-temperature, high-pressure (HTHP) conditions due to fluid loss and property degradation. Enhancing eco-friendly drilling fluids with optimal rheology is crucial for sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally safe drilling operations. This study formulated a WBM using green-synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs, ~ 45 nm) and tragacanth gum (TG), a biodegradable natural polymer. The synthesized ZnO NPs were comprehensively characterized using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG) to determine their structural, morphological, and chemical properties. Rheological properties, including flow behavior index (n), consistency index (K), plastic viscosity (PV), and yield point (YP), were analyzed at 25, 50, and 75 °C using the Bingham-plastic and Power-law models. The accuracy of the model was validated using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), which assessed the significance of the results. Additionally, Design Expert software was utilized to optimize the concentrations of TG and ZnO for elevated temperature applications. Moreover, the response surface methodology (RSM) results were evaluated by reporting the R 2 and accuracy metrics, confirming the strong correlation between predicted and actual values, which demonstrates the model’s robustness. Three optimal s...