Melamine-modified polyacrylic grafted on activated carbon and its efficiency for shale inhibition

This work reports on the synthesis of allyl-activated carbon modified with polyacrylic and then aminated by melamine. The obtained melamine-modified polyacrylic grafted activated carbon (C-g-AM) was then characterized for structural and morphological properties. The synthesized C-g-AM was characterized by several tools. This was followed by an evaluation of the inhibitive ability of the material by performing various inhibition tests, including shale recovery, anti-swelling, and immersion tests. 2 wt% C-g-AM effectively decreased water invasion into shale, because the combination of activated carbon as a core-center particle with the melamine–polyacrylic acid component is absorbed on clay surface through hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions.