The Phase Transformation Mechanism of Bentonite-Stabilized and Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide-Stabilized Emulsions and Application in Reversible Emulsification Oil-Based Drilling Fluids

摘要

We obtained a reversible emulsion system induced by bentonite solid particles and surfactant Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB, whose critical micelle concentration (CMC) value is 9.21 x 10(-4) mol L-1). In this study, the zeta potential and contact angle were used to characterize surface wettability of bentonite solid particles in the process of phase transmission behavior. The adsorption amount was calculated at different CTAB concentrations, and then the adsorption isotherm of surfactant CTAB at bentonite solid particles was also studied to confirm the adsorption behavior and adsorption layer structure. The electrical conductivity and microscopic analysis were employed to characterize the phase inversion behavior of emulsion. The results show that the wettability of bentonite particles can be reversed by changing the CTAB concentration, and then the two phase transition behavior of bentonite emulsion can be induced. Additionally, the surfactant CTAB can be used in oil-based drilling fluid systems for the inversion of the emulsion type. The research on the performance of the reversible emulsion oil-based drilling fluid system shows that it has a good thermal stability and a small amount of fluid loss, and successfully reduces the damage of the traditional oil-based drilling fluids on oil well completion.