Enhanced
rheological and mud-filtrate loss characteristics of drilling
muds are key to a successful drilling operation. Zirconium dioxide
(ZrO2)/clay material (ZCNC) was synthesized using ultrasonication
and characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction,
and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, the zeta potential
of pristine zirconia and ZCNC was evaluated in distilled water to
examine the stability of the colloidal material. Zeta potential measurements
revealed that adding ZCNC to conventional water-based mud (WBM) exhibited
a zeta potential similar to bentonite with very minute changes. Moreover,
SEM revealed that zirconia nanoparticles formed a uniform layer on
the bentonite surface. For the WBM, rheology and American Petroleum
Institute (API) mud-filtrate loss are generally controlled using polymers,
and these properties could also be improved by adding a minute concentration
of synthesized ZCNC. Incorporating nanoparticles into the bentonite
layer might augment the colloidal behavior of drilling mud and improve
the rheological properties. The yield point was enhanced after adding
0.3 wt % of ZCNC. The gel strength improved by 60% after adding 0.6
wt % of ZCNC to a conventional WBM. A gradual increase in the ZCNC
concentration to 0.6 wt % reduced the API mud-filtrate loss volume
and minimized the mud-cake thickness. These characteristics could
be attributed to coating bentonite layers with zirconia nanoparticles
and plugging interparticle pore spaces in the mud system.