Severe plastic deformation of degradable material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12416214-B2
Application number	US-202217655893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2022
Priority date	Nov 26, 2014
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

A method can include processing material via at least one severe plastic deformation process to form a degradable component where the material includes aluminum and one or more metals selected from a group of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, group 12 transition metals, and basic metals having an atomic number equal to or greater than 31.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An isolation device for use with a plug and a tubular having a tubular seal profile formed in an internal surface of the tubular, the isolation device comprising:
a body;
a ring coupled to the body and positioned such that, when the isolation device is positioned within the tubular, the ring is uphole of the body, the ring comprising:
an external seal profile shaped to contact and form a seal with the tubular seal profile to prevent flow between the tubular and the ring; and
an internal seal profile shaped to receive and form a seal with the plug to prevent flow through a bore of the ring,

wherein at least one of the body or the ring is a degradable component comprising a fine-grained material having a plurality of grains and a plurality of grain boundaries,
wherein the plurality of grains comprises a first material and the plurality of grain boundaries comprises a second material rich in gallium relative to the first material,
wherein the degradable component comprises dispersoids or is processed via a severe plastic deformation process, and
wherein the severe plastic deformation process comprises at least one of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP), cryomilling, high pressure torsion (HPT), or surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT).

2. The isolation device of claim 1 , wherein the degradable component is degradable upon contact with a selected fluid.

3. The isolation device of claim 1 , wherein the degradable component is processed via the severe plastic deformation process and the degradable component comprises the dispersoids.

4. The isolation device of claim 1 , wherein the degradable component is processed via the severe plastic deformation process comprising the at least one of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP), cryomilling, high pressure torsion (HPT), or surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT).

5. The isolation device of claim 1 , wherein the degradable component comprises the dispersoids.

6. The isolation device of claim 1 , wherein the degradable component comprises gallium, indium, tin, bismuth, zinc, mercury, lithium, sodium, or potassium.

7. The isolation device of claim 1 , wherein the degradable component is an alloy comprising aluminum and gallium, and the alloy comprises 2 to 20% gallium.

8. The isolation device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of grain boundaries form a continuous grain boundary comprising about 90% gallium.

9. A isolation system for use within a well, the isolation system comprising:
a tubular positionable within the well and having a tubular seal profile formed in an internal surface of the tubular; and
an isolation device positionable within the tubular and comprising:
a body;
a ring coupled to the body and positioned such that, when the isolation device is positioned within the tubular, the ring is uphole of the body, the ring comprising an external seal profile shaped to contact and form a seal with the tubular seal profile to prevent flow between the tubular and the ring; and
a plug sized to travel through the tubular to contact an internal seal profile of the ring to form a seal and prevent flow through a bore of the ring;
wherein at least one of the plug, the body, or the ring is a degradable component comprising a fine-grained material having a plurality of grains and a plurality of grain boundaries;
wherein the plurality of grains comprises a first material and the plurality of grain boundaries comprises a second material rich in gallium relative to the first material;
wherein the degradable component comprises dispersoids or is processed via a severe plastic deformation process;
wherein the severe plastic deformation process comprises at least one of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP), cryomilling, high pressure torsion (HPT), or surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT).

10. The isolation system of claim 9 , wherein the degradable component is degradable upon contact with a selected fluid.

11. The isolation system of claim 9 , wherein the degradable component is processed via the severe plastic deformation process and the degradable component comprises the dispersoids.

12. The isolation system of claim 9 , wherein the degradable component is processed via the severe plastic deformation process comprising at least one of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP), cryomilling, high pressure torsion (HPT), or surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT).

13. The isolation system of claim 9 , wherein the degradable component comprises the dispersoids.

14. The isolation system of claim 9 , wherein the degradable component comprises gallium, indium, tin, bismuth, zinc, mercury, lithium, sodium, or potassium.

15. A method of temporarily isolating a portion of a well, the method comprising:
positioning a tubular having a tubular seal profile formed in an internal surface of the tubular within the well;
positioning a ring of an isolation device within the tubular such that an external seal profile of the ring contacts and form a seal with the tubular seal profile to prevent flow between the tubular and the ring;
sealing a bore of the ring via a plug to prevent flow through a bore of the ring; and
degrading a fine-grained material of at least one of the plug, a body of the isolation device or the ring to resume flow through the tubular,
wherein the fine-grained material comprises a plurality of grains and a plurality of grain boundaries;
wherein the plurality of grains comprises a first material and the plurality of grain boundaries comprises a second material rich in gallium relative to the first material;
wherein the at least one of the plug, the body, or the ring comprises dispersoids or is processed via a severe plastic deformation process;
wherein the severe plastic deformation process comprises at least one of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP), cryomilling, high pressure torsion (HPT), or surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT).

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein degrading the at least one of the plug, the body, or the ring to resume flow through the tubular comprises degrading the plug, the body, and the ring to resume flow through the tubular.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein degrading the at least one of the plug, the body, or the ring to resume flow through the tubular comprising degrading the at least one of the plug, the body, or the ring to resume flow through the tubular via flowing a selected fluid into the well.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising processing at least one of the plug, the body, or the ring via the severe plastic deformation process, and wherein the at least one of the plug, the body, or the ring comprises the dispersoids.

19. The method of claim 15 , comprising processing the at least one of the plug, the body, or the ring via the at least one of a-severe plastic deformation process comprising at least one of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP), cryomilling, high pressure torsion (HPT), or surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT).

20. The method of claim 15 , comprising processing the at least one of the plug, the body, or the ring via the severe plastic deformation process comprising the cryomilling to form the dispersoids.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Roy Indranil
• Jacob Gregoire

Classifications

• E21B29/00

  Cutting or destroying pipes, packers, plugs or wire lines, located in boreholes or wells, e.g. cutting of damaged pipes, of windows; Deforming of pipes in boreholes or wells; Reconditioning of well casings while in the ground · CPC title

• B22F2005/001

  Cutting tools, earth boring or grinding tool other than table ware · CPC title

• B22F3/15

  Hot isostatic pressing · CPC title

• B22F3/04

  by applying fluid pressure {, e.g. by cold isostatic pressing [CIP]} · CPC title

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title