Preparation of molybdenum disulfide/bentonite nanohybrid and its tribological properties as lubricant for water-based drilling fluids

In recent years, with the increase in energy demand and gradual scarcity of medium and shallow oil and gas resources, oil and gas exploration has shifted to special wells such as deep wells, ultra-deep wells, and extended reach wells. These complex wellbore structures inevitably increase the torque and friction between the casing and the drill pipe during drilling, which aggravates friction and wear, and leads to accidents such as drill sticking and drill breakage in severe cases. In this study, molybdenum disulfide/bentonite (MoS 2 /Bent) nanohybrids as drilling fluid lubricant were synthesized by hydrothermal method using sodium molybdate (Na 2 MoO 4 ) and thiourea (CH 4 N 2 S) as raw materials and bentonite as carrier. The as-synthesized MoS 2 /Bent nanohybrid was characterized by X-ray powder diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the high temperature resistance and tribological properties of MoS 2 /Bent nanohybrid were evaluated in base slurry. The results show that the friction coefficient of MoS 2 /Bent nanohybrid drilling fluid before aging is reduced by 74 % and the wear rate is reduced by 97 % compared with the base slurry. After high-temperature aging at 240 °C, the friction coefficient is reduced by 77 % and the wear rate is reduced by 90 %. The excellent friction reducing and antiwear performance is attributed to the formation of low shear strength MoS 2 deposition film and oxide tribofilm on the surface of the friction pair during the rubbing process.