Thermally Regulated Curing-Degradation Windows of Epoxidized Soybean Oil-Based Epoxy-Anhydride Liquid Plugs for...

High-temperature temporary sealing operations require liquid plug materials that can be placed as low-viscosity precursors, converted into mechanically stable networks under reservoir temperature, and subsequently removed after service. Existing epoxy-based sealing systems generally provide high post-curing strength, but the coordination among pumpability, thermally triggered curing, and post-service degradability remains insufficiently addressed. In this work, an epoxidized soybean oil (ESO)-modified epoxy-anhydride liquid plug was designed to regulate these sequential stages within a single material system. The precursor formulation, rheological transition, curing kinetics, mechanical response, network structure, and degradation behavior were evaluated using viscosity monitoring, curing-time tests, DSC, compression testing, DMA, gel fraction and swelling measurements, FTIR, and high-temperature degradation experiments. The optimized precursor exhibited an initial viscosity of 65.4 ± 2.1 mPa·s, remaining below the pumpability threshold of 100 mPa·s before curing. Its curing time was adjustable within 1-10 h at 120-140 °C through temperature and initiator regulation. ESO incorporation produced a non-monotonic mechanical response, with the optimized network reaching a compressive strength of 112.5 ± 3.5 MPa and an elastic modulus of 142.50 ± 5.26 MPa. FTIR and thermal-mechanical analyses supported the formation of an ester-rich epoxy-anhydride network containing both rigid epoxy-derived segments and ESO-derived flexible chains. In the post-service stage, degradation was strongly temperature dependent, with the characteristic unsealing time decreasing from 84 h at 120 °C to 24 h at 130 °C and 18 h at 140 °C. The combined results define a coupled curing-degradation window in which pumpable placement, thermal network formation, load-bearing sealing, and controlled unsealing are temporally separated but structurally connected.