Confirm make-up water
Record temperature, salinity, hardness, pH, iron and suspended solids before preparation.
Water outside the qualified range can change hydration and viscosity.
Calibrate dry feed
Verify feeder mass output and inspect bag storage, lumping and moisture exposure.
Control powder rate relative to the primary water flow.
Create complete wetting
Introduce powder into a stable wetting zone without dumping or air entrainment.
Inspect for fisheyes and deposits around the eductor or hopper.
Limit destructive mixing
Use enough energy for distribution but avoid unnecessary high shear after chains hydrate.
Document mixer speed, time and tank geometry.
Allow consistent aging
Define tank volume, turnover and release time at the working concentration.
Do not compare a fresh incomplete batch with a fully aged reference.
Use final dilution deliberately
Apply clean dilution water and distribution mixing appropriate to the injection or treatment point.
Record dilution ratio and residence before downstream pumps.
Control filtration and transfer
Monitor filter pressure, screen residue, pump output and recirculation.
A blocked filter or damaged pump can appear as product failure.
Maintain a batch record
Log product code, lot, water, concentration, preparation time, viscosity and disposition.
Connect every field sample to the batch that produced it.
Field interpretation and decision record
Treat make-down as a controlled process with its own acceptance record. Identify water source, temperature, pH and important ions before polymer addition. Confirm dry-feed condition and keep bags protected from moisture. Record feeder rate, eductor or hopper condition, agitation pattern and batch volume. The goal during wetting is uniform particle dispersion without clumps; high energy after partial hydration can damage the growing polymer chains and create misleading solution behavior.
Define stock concentration and aging time for the actual product form. A concentration that is convenient for a laboratory may be difficult to wet or transfer at field scale. Sample during commissioning to establish when hydration reaches a stable operating range. Inspect for fish-eyes, gel particles, foam and undissolved residue, then use a consistent viscosity or screen check. Do not compensate for incomplete hydration by immediately increasing dosage because that can raise cost while leaving the root cause unchanged.
Dilution and transfer deserve the same attention as initial make-up. Use compatible water, confirm meter accuracy and avoid abrupt high-shear restrictions where possible. Map recirculation and dead zones in storage tanks. Track solution age because long holding, contamination or temperature exposure may alter response. When filtration is required, establish whether pressure rise indicates debris, undissolved polymer or a compatibility issue rather than assuming the filter itself is the problem.
A useful operating sheet records batch number, polymer code and lot, water, concentration, start and release times, checks, tank, operator and destination. Tie abnormal field performance back to these records before rejecting the product. Revalidate after a feeder, mixer, pump, water source or stock-concentration change. Supplier instructions provide a starting procedure, but final settings must match the installed system and the downstream application evidence—viscosity retention for flooding, whole-mud response for drilling or water-quality response for produced-water treatment. Retain one accepted batch sheet as the reference for training, troubleshooting and future receiving comparisons.