Gel:

When agitated, the gel converts to a fluid state.

Also a nickname for bentonite.

Terms Related to Gel

• Thixotropy

  The property exhibited by a fluid that is in a liquid state when flowing and in a semisolid, gelled state when at rest. Most drilling ...

• Gel strength

  A measure of the ability of a colloidal dispersion to develop and retain a gel form, based on its resistance to shear. The gel, or ...

• Quiescence

  The state of being quiet or at rest (being still). Static.

• Colloidal

  Pertaining to a colloid, i.e., involving particles so minute (less than 2 microns) that they are not visible through optical microscopes. Bentonite is an example ...

• Sol

  A general term for colloidal dispersions, as distinguished from true solutions.

• Bentonite

  A colloidal clay, composed primarily of montmorillonite, that swells when wet. Because of its gel forming properties, bentonite is a major component of water-based drilling ...

• Surfactant mud

  A drilling mud prepared by adding a surfactant to a water-base mud to change the colloidal state of the clay from that of complete dispersion ...