A viscosifier thickens the drilling fluid so it can carry cuttings up the hole and hold weighting material in suspension. Ironstone supplies the main viscosifier classes — xanthan gum for water-based mud, PAC where filtration control and viscosity are wanted together, and organophilic clay for oil-based systems — each with a certificate of analysis for every batch.
Two jobs. First, hole cleaning: thicker fluid carries drilled cuttings from the bit to surface instead of letting them fall back. Second, suspension: when the pumps stop, the fluid must hold barite and cuttings in place rather than letting them settle to the low side of the hole. The best viscosifiers do this while staying thin under the high shear inside the drill string and at the bit, so pump pressure stays manageable — thick where the fluid moves slowly, thin where it moves fast.
| Product | Choose it when | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Xanthan gum (XC polymer) | You need strong low-shear suspension and clean hole cleaning — the standard choice where cuttings must be held between connections. | The strongest suspension for its dosage; the first choice for HDD and low-solids fluids. |
| PAC (high-viscosity grade) | You want viscosity and filtration control from a single product in a simpler water-based program. | Adds body while cutting filtrate; less low-shear suspension than xanthan at equal dosage. |
| Organophilic clay | The system is oil-based or synthetic-based — water-phase viscosifiers do not work in oil. | The core rheology product of an invert mud; see the OBM systems page. |
Xanthan gum is a biopolymer made by fermentation, used across food and industry. The drilling grade — often called XC or XCD polymer — is the material controlled for performance in mud: viscometer readings at defined dosages, behavior in salt water, and particle treatment so it mixes in the field without forming lumps. Food-grade xanthan is the same base molecule but is qualified for food safety, not for mud performance, so it is not a specification substitute. Our xanthan page covers the difference and the numbers to compare.
Powders ship in 25 kg sacks, palletized for full or part-container loads. Minimum order depends on the product and the destination — a full 20-foot container of one product is the most freight-efficient, but we consolidate mixed products into one container for smaller programs. We state the minimum order and lead time on the quotation.