LAUSR

In the study, hydroxypropyl guar gum (HPG) gel is prepared by using Nano-ZrO2 particles as the cross-linking agent. The Nan-ZrO2 particles are prepared by using oil-water interface method. The physical properties such as morphology, particle size, and crystal structure of the Nano-ZrO2 particles are analyzed by SEM, particle size analyzer, FT-IR, and XRD, respectively. The results show that the Nano-ZrO2 particles are spherical particles with a little agglomeration; these spherical particles have a tetragonal structure and higher crystallinity, and the mean diameter of the first-level grain is 24 nm. The rheological properties including shear stress, complex modulus, elasticity modulus (G′), and viscosity modulus (G′′) of the Nano-ZrO2 cross-linked HPG gel are investigated. The results show that the Nano-ZrO2 cross-linked HPG gel is a pseudo-plastic non-Newtonian fluid with higher elastic modulus (G′ > G′′) and lower tanδ (tanδ < 1, the ratio of viscous and elastic modulus), which indicate that the Nano-ZrO2 cross-linked HPG gel may have potential application in fracturing.