Self-repairing cement polymer composites and processes of making and using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10370577-B2
Application number	US-201715677993-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2017
Priority date	Aug 15, 2016
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

New cement-polymer composites and processes of making and using are detailed. One exemplary cement-polymer composite include a Portland cement, an epoxide polymer, a thiol-containing crosslinking agent, and an optional phase separation inhibitor. These composites are dynamically self-healing, mechanically robust, and thermally stable in high temperature environments and can be expected to increase service lifetimes in various applications including energy producing wellbores.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a self-repairing cement-polymer composite matrix, comprising the steps of:
introducing a cement-polymer composite-forming slurry comprising a cement-containing material, an epoxide polymer and/or epoxide oligomers thereof, a crosslinking agent, and an optional phase-separation inhibitor combined in an aqueous medium to a receiving location so as to contact structures and materials therein;
curing the composite-forming slurry to form a self-repairing and self readhering cement-polymer composite matrix comprising chemical bonds between compounds therein and the structures and materials in the receiving location; and
dynamically self-repairing structural breaches in the composite matrix by reforming chemical bonds between compounds therein and/or with the structures and materials bonded thereto restoring at least partial strength thereto and/or reducing permeability by up to about 90% therein.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of forming the cement-polymer composite-forming slurry by combining the cement-containing material, the epoxide polymer and/or epoxide oligomers, the crosslinking agent, and the optional phase-separation inhibitor in the aqueous medium prior to introducing the composite-forming slurry into the receiving location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the epoxide polymer comprises an epoxy-terminated polysulfide polymer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the epoxide polymer comprises a terminal epoxide group.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the crosslinking agent includes a functional group selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; alcohol; thiol; ether; ester; amine; amide; and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the phase separation inhibitor is a polymer having at least one terminal functional group reactive with the epoxide polymer and/or epoxide oligomers selected from the group consisting of amines; thiols; epoxides; alcohols; amides; carboxylates; carbonyls; and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the phase separation inhibitor is selected from poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ethers (PEO); poly(ethylene) glycols (PEG); bisphenol diglycidyl ethers (BPA); and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the epoxide polymer comprises an epoxy-terminated polysulfide polymer; the crosslinking agent is a tetrathiol; and the phase separation inhibitor is a PEO surfactant.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the self-repairing step includes a process selected from thiol metathesis; thiolate exchange; epoxide ring opening; metal coordination; ionic coordination; Diels-Alder bonding; and combination thereof.

Assignees

• Battelle Memorial Institute

Inventors

• Fernandez Carlos A
• Koech Phillip K
• Um Wooyong
• Glezakou Vassiliki-Alexandra
• Chun Jaehun
• Childers M Ian
• Nguyen Manh Thuong
• Rod Kenton A

Classifications

• C04B28/04

  Portland cements · CPC title

• C09K8/428

  for squeeze cementing, e.g. for repairing · CPC title

• C04B2103/0062

  Cross-linked polymers · CPC title

• C09K8/467 Primary

  containing additives for specific purposes · CPC title

• C04B24/32

  Polyethers, e.g. alkylphenol polyglycolether · CPC title