Investigation of the Thermal Stability of Extracted Lignin - Based Oil - Well Cement

Antony Fundia Simbiri | Ogbonna F. Joel | Emmanuel E. Okoro | Daniel O. Oyoo

Abstract: For the use of polymeric materials in the various, continuously expanding industrial applications, thermal stability is essential. It is crucial to have a thorough grasp of thermal stability and the kinetic mechanisms at play when designing materials for a particular application. The aim of this work was to establish the thermal stability of lignin - based oil - well cement. First, the thermal stability of lignin extracted from SCB was evaluated. The initial weight - loss temperature (Ti) of the lignin - based cement sample which takes place when there is 5% loss of its weight, was at 78.30C. Due to the production of highly condensed aromatic structures, more than 50% of the lignin cement sample was still un - volatilized by 6000C. Additionally, by 6230C, 85.5% of the lignin - based cement sample was still un - volatilized. The initial weight - loss temperature (Ti) of the sodium lignosulfonate - based cement sample, was at 730C. By 6000C the sodium lignosulfonate cement sample had lost up to 21% of its mass, which is higher than the 13.5% recorded for the lignin - based cement sample. This suggests that the thermal stability of sodium lignosulfonate - based cement is lower than the lignin - based cement slurry in high temperature zones. Consequently, the thermal stability of oil - well cements, especially in HPHT environments can be enhanced by the addition of SCB based lignin into the cement slurry.

Keywords: Degradation, initial weight - loss temperature, thermal stability, lignin, thermogravimetric analysis, sodium lignosulfonate

Edition: Volume 12 Issue 7, July 2023,

Pages: 20 - 25