CP Kelco Welan Gum

CP Kelco R&D scientists continually seek new hydrocolloids, and one of the most unique is welan gum. Welan gum is a thickening agent whose properties make it well suited to use in high-temperature oilfield drilling muds.

Source: Biofermentation using a sugar source
Function: Thickening, suspension, thermal stability
Description: Welan gum is a specialty fermentation polysaccharide produced by fermentation of Sphingomonas sp. A key feature of this novel, water-soluble polysaccharide is its excellent stability and viscosity retention at temperatures up to 150°C (300°F).

In addition, this hydrophilic colloid thickens, suspends, and stabilizes water-based systems while imparting rheological control. Welan gum is stable in the presence of calcium ions, even under high pH conditions, and in solutions containing high levels of glycols.

A solution of welan gum in water is highly pseudoplastic (shear thinning). At rest and under low shear conditions it exhibits a very high viscosity. By contrast, under high shear conditions it exhibits a low viscosity. The viscosity changes immediately when the shearing conditions change, for example, when the solution comes to rest after being pumped.

Products

BIOZAN® Welan Gum for oilfield drilling applications.