# A Novel Polyacrylamide Film-Forming Agent for Maintaining Wellbore Stability

## TL;DR

A new polyacrylamide film-forming agent was developed to improve wellbore stability during drilling by forming moisture-resistant films.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a novel polyacrylamide film-forming agent with optimized composition for colloidal stability and moisture resistance.

## Key findings

- The agent was synthesized with complete monomer conversion confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy.
- Optimal composition included 3.7 wt% acrylamide, a 1:3 VAc:AM molar ratio, and 1.6 wt% cellulose.
- The agent formed effective moisture-resistant films encapsulating sodium-bentonite pellets.

## Abstract

A polyacrylamide-based film-forming agent was synthesized via free-radical copolymerization. FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed complete monomer conversion with no detectable residual unsaturation. Systematic variation of acrylamide (AM), vinyl acetate (VAc) and cellulose content revealed that an AM mass fraction of 3.7 wt%, a VAc:AM molar ratio of 1:3 and a cellulose content of 1.6 wt% yielded an emulsion of maximal colloidal stability. Under these conditions, the agent formed coherent, moisture-resistant films that effectively encapsulated sodium-bentonite pellets, indicating its potential as an efficient inhibitor for maintaining well-bore stability during drilling operations.