hydrophilic | Energy Glossary

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hydrophilic

1. adj. [Drilling Fluids, Enhanced Oil Recovery]

Pertaining to an attraction for water by the surface of a material or a molecule. Clays and most other natural minerals used in drilling fluids, such as barite and hematite, are hydrophilic. They are spontaneously wet by water. To render them oleophilic, they can be treated with an oil-wetting chemical.

Antonyms: hydrophobiclipophilic

See: clay-water interactiondispersiondrilling fluidguar gumhydrationhydrophile-lipophile balance numberlyophilicorganophilicorganophilic claysurfactant