Study of the Gelation and Rheological Behavior of Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Polyacrylamide Graft Copolymer Hydrogel

This research article deals with the synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose-g-polyacrylamide copolymer and its suitability for the development of hydrogel system using cross-linker. The hydrogels were prepared using different concentrations of synthesized graft copolymer and chromium(III) acetate cross-linker. The gelation and rheological behaviors of this gel system were thoroughly studied. It was experimentally observed that the prepared hydrogels exhibit an acceptable gel strength and gelation time. The graft polymeric gel using 10,000 ppm copolymer and 2000 ppm chromium(III) acetate cross-linker could be deformed up to 7690% without tearing of the gel network in the range of 0.1–10,000% strain. These observations show the potential of the developed hydrogel system for its application as sealant during water shutoff jobs in oil reservoir.