EFFECT OF THE WATER/BLENDA FACTOR AND THE POLYCARBOXYLATE-BASED DISPERSANT IN LC³ PASTES FOR OIL WELL CEMENTING
calcined clay, rheology, water/cement ratio, water/binder ratio, well cementing, sustainable cementitious systems, petroleum engineering.
Limestone calcined clay cement (LC³) is a low-carbon ternary blend that has emerged as a sustainable alternative to ordinary Portland cement, especially in contexts requiring high mechanical performance and durability. This cementitious system shows promise for oil well cementing, a process predominantly performed with Portland cement Class G. However, its practical application still faces challenges, particularly related to its higher water demand and compatibility with chemical additives, as products specifically developed for LC³-based systems remain at the laboratory scale. In this context, this study investigates the effect of adding a polycarboxylate-based dispersant (PCO), combined with variations in the water-to-blend ratio (W/B), on the rheological and mechanical performance of LC³ pastes.Eight formulations were evaluated in terms of yield stress, plastic viscosity, thickening time, free water content, and compressive strength, in accordance with the Brazilian standard NBR 9831. In addition, zeta potential and isothermal calorimetry analyses were performed.The results demonstrated the combined influence of water content and chemical admixture on the behavior of the pastes in both fresh and hardened states, contributing to the development of optimized compositions that reconcile technical performance with environmental sustainability in the oil and gas industry.