High water and brine swell elastomeric compositions and method for making and using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10604693-B2
Application number	US-201314033660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2013
Priority date	Sep 25, 2012
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

Swellable compositions including at least one curable elastomer, a least one cure system, at least one high molecular weight (HMW) swelling agent and at least one low molecular weight (LMW) swelling agent. Methods for making swellable compositions including at least one curable elastomer, a least one cure system, at least one high molecular weight (HMW) swelling agent and at least one low molecular weight (LMW) swelling agent. Methods for using swellable compositions including at least one curable elastomer, a least one cure system, at least one high molecular weight (HMW) swelling agent and at least one low molecular weight (LMW) swelling agent.

First claim

We claim:

1. A swellable system consisting of:
100 parts of at least one curable elastomer selected from the group consisting of nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR); hydrogenated NBR (hNBR); chemically functionalized NBR; ethylene-propylene-diene-copolymer (EPDM); ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR); fluorinated elastomers; styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR); hydrogenated styrene-butadiene rubber (hSBR); isoprene-butadiene rubber (IBR); hydrogenated isoprene-butadiene rubber (hIBR); styrene-isoprene rubber (SIR); hydrogenated styrene-isoprene rubber (hSIR); styrene-butadiene-isoprene (SIBR); hydrogenated styrene-butadiene-isoprene rubber (hSIBR); block, triblock and multi-block polymers of styrene-isoprene, styrene-butadiene, styrene-butadiene-isoprene thermoplastic elastomers; hydrogenated block, triblock and multi-block polymers of styrene-isoprene, styrene-butadiene, styrene-butadiene-isoprene thermoplastic elastomers; silicone rubbers; and mixtures thereof, wherein the swellable system comprises no additional elastomer;
10 parts to 150 parts of at least one high molecular weight (HMW) swelling agent; and
3 parts to 70 parts of at least one low molecular weight (LMW) swelling agent; and
optionally an additive selected from the group consisting of a filler, a cure system, a co-cure agent that forms ionic crosslinks, an antioxidant, a flame retardant, and any combination thereof, wherein the filler is selected from the group consisting of carbon black, silica, and clay, and wherein the cure system comprises peroxides, sulfurs, sulfur-donors, amines, phenolic resins, metal oxides, or mixtures thereof.

2. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the LMW swelling agent is selected from the group consisting of halide salts, hydroxide salts, carbonate salts, formate salts, acetate salts, phosphate salts, triphosphate salts, polyphosphate salts, sulfate salts, perchlorate salts, citrate salts, oxylate salts, and mixtures thereof, and
wherein the HMW swelling agent comprises a high molecular weight hydrogel, a high molecular weight superabsorbent polymer (HMW SAP), a high molecular weight ionomer, or mixtures thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the LMW swelling agents are selected from the group consisting of sodium acetate, potassium acetate, calcium acetate, sodium formate, potassium formate, calcium formate, ammonium triphosphate, sodium triphosphate, potassium triphosphate, calcium triphosphate, ammonium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate, potassium perchlorate, ammonium polyphosphate, sodium polyphosphate, potassium polyphosphate, ammonium sodium acrylate, potassium acrylate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and mixtures thereof, and
the HMW swelling agent is selected from the group consisting of sodium polyacrylates, potassium polyacrylates, sodium polymethacrylates, potassium polymethacrylates, poly(acryl amide-co-acrylic acid) sodium salt, poly(acryl amide-co-acrylic acid) potassium salt, poly(acryl amide-co-acrylic acid) sodium salt and potassium salt, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), and mixtures thereof.

4. A method for preparing a swellable composition comprising the steps of:
mixing components consisting of 100 parts of at least one curable elastomer, 10 parts to 150 parts of at least one high molecular weight (HMW)swelling agent and 3 parts to 70 parts of at least one low molecular weight (LMW) swelling agent, a cure system during conditions sufficient to form a swellable composition, and optionally an additive selected from the group consisting of a filler, a co-cure agent that forms ionic crosslinks, an antioxidant, a flame retardant, and any combination thereof, wherein the filler is selected from the group consisting of carbon black, silica, and clay, and wherein the cure system comprises peroxides, sulfurs, sulfur-donors, amines, phenolic resins, metal oxides, or mixtures thereof,
wherein the curable elastomer is selected from the group consisting of nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR); hydrogenated NBR (hNBR); chemically functionalized NBR; ethylene-propylene-diene-copolymer (EPDM); ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR); fluorinated elastomers; styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR); hydrogenated styrene-butadiene rubber (hSBR); isoprene-butadiene rubber (IBR); hydrogenated isoprene-butadiene rubber (hIBR); styrene-isoprene rubber (SIR); hydrogenated styrene-isoprene rubber (hSIR); styrene-butadiene-isoprene (SIBR); hydrogenated styrene-butadiene-isoprene rubber (hSIBR); block, triblock and multi-block polymers of styrene-isoprene, styrene-butadiene, styrene-butadiene-isoprene thermoplastic elastomers; hydrogenated block, triblock and multi-block polymers of styrene-isoprene, styrene-butadiene, styrene-butadiene-isoprene thermoplastic elastomers; silicone rubbers; and mixtures thereof,
wherein the swellable composition comprises no additional elastomer; and

curing the swellable composition to form a cured swellable composition,
where the cure system is present in an amount sufficient to cure the at least one curable elastomer to a desired cure level or state of cure.

5. The method of claim 4 ,
wherein the LMW swelling agent is selected from the group consisting of halide salts, hydroxide salts, carbonate salts, formate salts, acetate salts, phosphate salts, triphosphate salts, polyphosphate salts, sulfate salts, perchlorate salts, citrate salts, oxylate salts, and mixtures thereof; and
wherein the HMW swelling agent comprises a high molecular weight hydrogel, a high molecular weight superabsorbent polymer (HMW SAP), a high molecular weight ionomer, or mixtures thereof.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the LMW swelling agent is selected from the group consisting of sodium acetate, potassium acetate, calcium acetate, sodium formate, potassium formate, calcium formate, ammonium triphosphate, sodium triphosphate, potassium triphosphate, calcium triphosphate, ammonium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate, potassium perchlorate, ammonium polyphosphate, sodium polyphosphate, potassium polyphosphate, ammonium sodium acrylate, potassium acrylate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and mixtures thereof.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the HMW swelling agent is selected from the group consisting of sodium polyacrylates, potassium polyacrylates, sodium polymethacrylates, potassium polymethacrylates, poly(acryl amide-co-acrylic acid) sodium salt, poly(acryl amide-co-acrylic acid) potassium salt, poly(acryl amide-co-acrylic acid) sodium salt and potassium salt, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), and mixtures thereof.

8. A swellable construct for use in downhole applications, where the swellable construct is made from a swellable composition consisting of 100 parts of at least one curable elastomer, 10 parts to 150 parts of at least one high molecular weight (HMW) swelling agent, 3 parts to 70 parts of at least one low molecular weight (LMW) swelling agent, a cure system during conditions sufficient to form a cured swellable composition, and optionally an additive selected from the group consisting of a filter, a cure system, a co-cure agent that forms ionic crosslinks, an antioxident, a flame retardant, and any combination thereof, wherein the filler is selected from the group consisting of carbon black, silica, and clay, and wherein the cure system comprises peroxides, sulfurs, sulfur-donors amines, phenolic resins, metal oxides, or mixtures thereof,
wherein the curable elastomer is selected from the group consisting of nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR); hydrogenated NBR (hNBR); chemically functionalized NBR; ethylene-propylene-diene-copolymer (EPDM); ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR); fluorinated elastomers; styrene-butadiene rubber (

Assignees

• Weatherford Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Kim Byong Jun
• Banta Deborah Lynn
• Breach William David

Classifications

• C09K8/422

  specially adapted for sealing expandable pipes, e.g. of the non-hardening type · CPC title

• C09K8/50 Primary

  Compositions for plastering borehole walls, i.e. compositions for temporary consolidation of borehole walls (compositions for consolidating loose sand or the like around wells C09K8/56) · CPC title

• C09K8/42

  Compositions for cementing, e.g. for cementing casings into boreholes; Compositions for plugging, e.g. for killing wells (compositions for plastering C09K8/50) · CPC title

• C09K8/80 Primary

  Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open · CPC title