Method of manufacturing a heat-shrink elastomeric element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11065807-B2
Application number	US-201715768458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2017
Priority date	Apr 13, 2017
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

Provided are methods and systems for manufacturing and using heat-shrink elastomeric. An example method of manufacturing a heat-shrink elastomeric element comprises providing a thermoplastic elastomeric element having a first shape; modifying the thermoplastic elastomeric element to produce a thermoset elastomeric element having the first shape; heating the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature of at least the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element; adjusting the first shape of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce a second shape with at least one dimension greater than that of the first shape; and cooling the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature below that of the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce the heat-shrink elastomeric element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a heat-shrink elastomeric element comprising:
providing a thermoplastic elastomeric element having a first shape;
irradiating at least a portion of the thermoplastic elastomeric element with a radiation dose of between about 5 to about 300 kilogray to produce a thermoset elastomeric element having the first shape;
heating the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature of at least the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element;
adjusting the first shape of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce a second shape with at least one dimension greater than that of the first shape; and
cooling the thermoset elastomeric element to a temperature below that of the glass transition temperature of the thermoset elastomeric element to produce the heat-shrink elastomeric element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric element comprises an amorphous thermoplastic polymer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermoset elastomeric element comprises a thermoset polymer comprising a monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylate, acrylamide, urethane, and any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the heat-shrink elastomeric element as a sealing element, a clamping element, or as a heat-activated actuating element.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-shrink elastomeric element is a heat-shrink elastomeric swellable packer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-shrink elastomeric element is a component of a cable clamp.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-shrink elastomeric element is an o-ring.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat-shrink elastomeric element is a component of a centralizer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the irradiating the thermoplastic elastomeric element comprises irradiating with a radiation dose in at least one localized area of the thermoplastic elastomeric element.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc
• Univ Texas
• The Univ Of Texas System Board Of Regents

Inventors

• Fripp Michael L
• Yang Kejia
• Reit Radu
• Lund Benjamin
• Voit Walter

Classifications

• B29C71/04

  by wave energy or particle radiation {, e.g. for curing or vulcanising preformed articles (during moulding, e.g. in a mould B29C35/08)} · CPC title

• C08J3/24

  Crosslinking, e.g. vulcanising, of macromolecules (mechanical aspects B29C35/00; crosslinking agents C08K) · CPC title

• E21B33/12

  Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) · CPC title

• E21B33/127

  with inflatable sleeve (E21B33/122, E21B33/124 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29K2995/0049

  Heat shrinkable · CPC title