Probing the effect of Young's modulus on the plugging performance of micro-nano-scale dispersed particle gels

Abstract The effect of mechanical strength of the dispersed particle gels (DPG) on their macro plugging performances is significant, however, little study has been reported. In this paper, DPG particles with different mechanical strengths were obtained by mechanical shearing of bulk gels prepared with different formula. Young's moduli of DPG particles on the micro and nano scales were measured by atomic force microscope for the first time. The mapping relationship among the formula of bulk gel, the Young's moduli of the DPG particles and the final plugging performance was established. The results showed that when the Young's moduli of the DPG particles increased from 82 to 328 Pa, the plugging rate increased significantly from 91.46% to 97.10% due to the distinctly enhanced stacking density and strength at this range. While when the Young's moduli of the DPG particles surpassed 328 Pa, the further increase of plugging rate with the Young's moduli of the DPG particles became insignificant. These results indicated that the improvement of plugging rate was more efficient by adjusting the Young’s moduli of the DPG particles within certain ranges, providing guidance for improving the macroscopic application properties of DPG systems in reservoir heterogeneity regulation.