Preparation and Performance Optimization of a Thermo‐Responsive Hydrogel Composite Inhibitor

ABSTRACT To overcome the short duration and poor activity of existing inhibitors, this study integrated a thermo‐responsive hydrogel (MC/PEG) with a composite inhibitor. Methylcellulose (MC) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used as the base materials for preparing the thermo‐responsive hydrogel. This was achieved by grafting DL‐malic acid (DL‐MA) and incorporating modified nano‐zinc oxide (n‐ZnO) into a MC/PEG hydrogel network via in situ polymerization. The hydrogel and composite inhibitor formulations were optimized using single‐factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM). Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and x‐ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed that MC and PEG were primarily crosslinked via hydrogen bonding, and the modified n‐ZnO was integrated into the gel network through similar hydrogen bonds. The composite exhibited enhanced structural disorder and heightened reactivity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the formation of a highly porous and wrinkled micromorphology, which provides a large specific surface area for its inhibitory action. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the composite inhibitor exhibited excellent overall inhibition performance, increasing the characteristic temperatures of the coal samples by an average of 20.69°C. This is attributed to its effective integration of physical barrier effects, chemical inhibition, and nanomaterial effects, thereby overcoming the limitations of single inhibitors.