Thermal stability, adsorption and rheological behaviors of sulfonated polyacrylamide/chromium triacetate/laponite nanocomposite weak gels

The objective of the present study is to improve the behavior of sulfonated polyacrylamide (SPA) by adding Laponite and/or chromium(III) with a focus on enhanced oil recovery applications. The resultant systems are weak nanocomposite hydrogels which are subjected to rheological, thermal stability and adsorption tests. The interactions between ingredients of the hydrogel are investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In addition, dispersion of Laponite nanoparticles in hydrogel is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal stability is determined by measuring the loss of viscosity after an aging cycle. The adsorption tests are performed on calcite and evaluated using thermo gravimetric analysis. FTIR spectra confirmed the interaction of Laponite and Cr3+ with SPA. TEM micrograph showed an approximately uniform dispersion of Laponite in the crosslinked SPA/Cr3+/Laponite system. The viscoelastic behaviors of the systems improved with the addition of either Laponite or chromium(III). The sulfonated polyacrylamide/chromium(III)/Laponite system slightly loses its viscosifying power when subjected to harsh conditions of themo-chemical aging process. The adsorption behavior of the systems improved with Laponite concentration while the presence of chromium(III) weakened the adsorption. Therefore the introduced polymeric systems of the present study may be a potential option for enhanced oil recovery applications in hostile conditions.