Drilling oil-based mud waste as a resource for raw materials: A case study on clays reclamation and their application as fillers in polyamide 6 composites

To convert the hazardous oil-based mud waste into a resource, this study has addressed reclaimed nanoclays and its application as a filler material for reinforcing polyamide 6 polymer matrix into a novel polymer composite material. This work focuses on the synergistic effect of complex mixture of various clay minerals reclaimed from oil-based mud waste on different mechanical properties in polyamide-6 (PA6)/oil-based mud fillers (OBMFs) nanocomposites. PA6/OBMFs nanocomposites were manufactured through the melt compounding of OBMFs with PA6 in a twin-screw extruder followed by injection moulding.

The study shows significant improvement for mechanical properties. For instance, the tensile properties increased with the incremental loadings of OBMFs in PA6 matrix. The Young's moduli were increased by 42% and 35% in PA6 with 7.5 and 10 wt% OBMFs nanocomposites respectively whereas the tensile strengths were increased by 24% and 16% in PA6 with 7.5 and 10 wt% OBMFs nanocomposites respectively. The flexural strength increased by 26% with the addition of OBMFs from 0 to 10 wt% in PA6. The storage modulus of the nanocomposite containing 10 wt% OBMFs was 16% higher than the storage modulus of neat PA6 at 30 °C, whereas at 60 °C (glass transition temperature, T_g of neat PA6) the storage modulus of PA6 with 10 wt% OBMFs was 56% higher than that of neat PA6. The study shows that the oil-based mud waste can be appropriately management to develop a new raw materials resource for polymer technology.