Aqueous solution of sodium silicate (sodium silicate liquid) has found wide application as a component of low silicate drilling muds, polymer salt drilling fluids, mixed silicate products and water control compositions for well construction and workover operations in PJSC TATNEFT. The term “liquid silicate” or “water glass’ refers to aqueous alkali silicate solutions regardless of cation type (sodium, potassium, lithium, ammonium), silica concentration, its polymer structure and production method. The interest to liquid-silicate-based materials is attributable to their favorable properties, availability, low cost of raw materials, environmentally friendly production and application processes, non-flammable, nontoxic nature. However, application of commercial sodium silicate solutions is challenging because liquid-state chemical product is stored in 200-liter barrels and can freeze at low temperatures, while solution water content makes 50%. Liquid product poses challenges during transportation (additional handling facility requirements), application (heavy containers) and batching. It also increases logistics footprint due to the need to dispose of used containers. Application of dry non-aqueous sodium silicate, in turn, is technologically unfeasible because of poor solubility in water under normal conditions (dissolution of sodium silicate occurs at temperatures of as high as 80-90°C). Laboratory studies on applicability of hydrated sodium silicate as technological alternative to liquid silicate has been conducted to provide evidence of drilling performance enhancing capabilities of the former and its advantages over liquid silicate: major material content of 80-90%; water content up to 20%; bulk form, no caking tendency, any allowable storage temperature; good solubility in cold water.
References
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