Synthesis of polylactic acid/Henna polymer composite and its application in optimizing drilling fluid rheology and filtration performance

Efficient extraction of subsurface resources relies heavily on the performance of drilling fluids, which necessitates constant innovation in their formulation. This study introduces a novel Polylactic Acid/Henna composite for significant enhancement of drilling fluid properties. The composites was characterized via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), confirming the uniform Henna particles dispersion in PLA matrix. The composite was added to water-based drilling fluids at concentrations of 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 4 wt%, and 10 wt%, followed by rigorous evaluation of rheological and filtration performance. Experimental results demonstrated that fluids containing 2 wt% PLA/Henna composite exhibited the best performance, with a 32% increase in yield point and a 21% improvement in plastic viscosity compared to the base fluid. Furthermore, filtration volume decreased by 42%, while spurt loss was reduced by 35% due to improved filter cake formation. These quantitative improvements optimize fluid efficiency and minimize permeability, enhancing the ability to control fluid loss under simulated drilling conditions. Such enhancements promote better wellbore stability and operational reliability.