Fuente: Journal of applied polymer Lugar: RESEARCH ARTICLE Interface regulation mechanism and high compressive strength of novel phase-change fracturing fluids.

ABSTRACT
Traditional hydraulic fracturing technology suffers from low proppant efficiency and significant formation damage due to its reliance on high-viscosity fluids. While phase-change fracturing fluids overcome these issues by generating proppants in situ through liquid injection and formation-triggered phase transformation, existing systems still face challenges such as inadequate proppant strength and poorly defined interfacial control mechanisms. This study aims to develop a novel phase-change fracturing fluid system (MPCF) with enhanced strength, minimal reservoir damage, and high conductivity through molecular design and interfacial engineering. By introducing dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) into unsaturated polyester resin, a high-strength functional monomer (PGC1) was synthesized, increasing its compressive strength from 42 to 95 MPa. The optimal MPCF formulation was established alongside an ideal interfacial tension range of 3.2–4.5 mN/m. Under these conditions, the resulting phase-change proppant (MP) exhibits excellent comprehensive performance: sphericity of 0.9, breakage rate of only 1.5% at 60 MPa, and acid solubility as low as 0.18%. Flow capacity tests confirmed that MP outperforms conventional proppants across the 0–60 MPa closure pressure range. This work provides both a theoretical framework and a practical solution for improving proppant placement and fracture sustainability in unconventional reservoirs.