Research progress of polyacrylamide polymerization in fracturing: a mini review

Hydraulic fracturing is a widely employed technique in oilfield exploitation. The performance of fracturing fluids plays a critical role in the success of these operations. Polypropionamide-based fracturing fluids are particularly favored due to their resistance to high temperatures, shear forces, salt, and their effective sand-carrying capacity. Research on polypropionamide-based fracturing fluids has garnered significant attention within the industry, particularly with regard to enhancing their temperature resistance, sand-carrying ability, and shear resistance. This paper reviews the synthesis methods for polypropionamide-based fracturing fluids, including aqueous solution polymerization, dispersion polymerization, and reverse-phase emulsion polymerization. It also systematically evaluates the performance and challenges associated with fluids synthesized through these different methods. Finally, the paper outlines potential directions for future research in the development of polypropionamide-based fracturing fluids.