Swellable compositions, articles formed therefrom, and methods of manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016138359-A1
Application number	US-201414542695-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 17, 2014
Priority date	Nov 17, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A swellable composition comprises: a matrix material; and a condensed expandable graphite material disposed in the matrix material. A seal arrangement comprises: a swellable member and a sealing member disposed on a surface of the swellable member; wherein the swellable member comprises a condensed expandable graphite material. The condensed expandable graphite material in the swellable composition and the swellable member has a bulk density of about 1 to about 8 g/cm 3 and comprises expandable graphite.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A swellable composition comprising:
a matrix material; and a condensed expandable graphite material disposed in the matrix material; wherein the condensed expandable graphite material has a bulk density of about 1 to about 8 g/cm 3 and comprises expandable graphite.

2 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the matrix material is an elastic material.

3 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the matrix material is one or more of the following: an ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber; a butadiene rubber; a styrene-butadiene rubber; a natural rubber; an acrylonitrile butadiene rubber; a styrene-butadiene-acrylonitrile resin; a butadiene-nitrile rubber; a polyisoprene rubber; an acrylate-butadiene rubber; a polychloroprene rubber; an acrylate-isoprene rubber; an ethylene-vinyl acetate rubber; a polypropylene oxide rubber; a polypropylene sulfide rubber; a fluoroelastomer; or a thermoplastic polyurethane rubber.

4 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the condensed expandable graphite material further comprises a binder containing one or more of the following: SiO 2 ; Si; B;
B 2 O 3 ; a metal; or a metal alloy; wherein the metal is one or more of the following: aluminum; copper; titanium; nickel; tungsten; chromium; iron; manganese; zirconium; hafnium; vanadium; niobium; molybdenum; tin; bismuth; antimony; lead; cadmium; or selenium.

5 . The composition of claim 4 , wherein the condensed expandable graphite material comprises about 20 to about 95 wt. % of the expandable graphite and about 5 to about 80 wt. % of the binder.

6 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the condensed expandable graphite material comprises particles having an average particle size of about 10 microns to about 5 centimeters.

7 . The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an activation material containing one or more of the following: a thermite; Al—Ni; Ti—Si; Ti—B; Zr—Si, Zr—B; Ti—Al; Ni—Mg; or Mg—Bi.

8 . The composition of claim 7 , wherein the thermite comprises a reducing agent and an oxidizing agent, wherein the reducing agent comprises one or more of the following: aluminum; magnesium; calcium; titanium; zinc; silicon; or boron; and the oxidizing agent comprises one or more of the following: boron oxide; silicon oxide; chromium oxide; manganese oxide; iron oxide; copper oxide; or lead oxide.

9 . An article comprising the composition of claim 1 .

10 . The article of claim 9 , wherein the article is a swellable article.

11 . The article of claim 9 , wherein the article is a seal; a high pressure beaded frac screen plug; a screen basepipe plug; a coating for balls and seats; a gasket; a compression packing element; an expandable packing element; an O-ring; a bonded seal; a bullet seal; a sub-surface safety valve seal; a sub-surface safety valve flapper seal; a dynamic seal; a V-ring; a back-up ring; a drill bit seal; a liner port plug; an atmospheric disc; an atmospheric chamber discs; a debris barrier; a drill in stim liner plug; an inflow control device plug; a flapper; a seat; a ball seat; a direct connect disk; a drill-in linear disk; a gas lift valve plug; a fluid loss control flapper; an electric submersible pump seal; a shear out plug; a flapper valve; a gaslift valve; or a sleeve.

12 . A method of making the composition of claim 1 , the method comprising combing the condensed expandable graphite material with the matrix material.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the combing comprises dry blending; melt blending; or a combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 12 comprising:
compressing expandable graphite having a tapped density of about 0.005 to about 1 g/cm 3 to provide a condensed expandable graphite bulk material;
breaking the condensed expandable graphite bulk material into condensed expandable graphite particles, wherein the condensed expandable graphite particles have a tapped density of about 0.1 to about 2 g/cm 3 ; and
combining the condensed expandable graphite particles with the matrix material.

15 . The method of claim 12 comprising:
compressing a mixture of expandable graphite having a tapped density of about 0.005 to about 1 g/cm 3 and a binder to provide a condensed expandable graphite bulk material;
breaking the condensed expandable graphite bulk material into condensed expandable graphite particles, wherein the condensed expandable graphite particles have a tapped density of about 1 to about 5 g/cm 3 ; and
combining the condensed expandable graphite particles with the matrix material.

16 . A method of forming an article, the method comprising shaping or machining the composition of claim 1 .

17 . A method of deploying an article, the method comprising:
positioning an article at a predetermined location; wherein the article comprises a composition that contains a matrix material and a condensed expandable graphite material, and wherein the composition has a first shape; and activating the condensed expandable graphite material to cause the composition to attain a second shape different from the first shape; wherein the condensed expandable graphite material has a bulk density of about 1 to about 8 g/cm 3 and wherein the condensed expandable graphite material comprises expandable graphite.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the activating comprises at least one of the following: exposing the composition to a microwave energy; or heating the composition.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the composition further comprises an activation material containing one or more of the following: a thermite; Al—Ni; Ti—Si; Ti—B; Zr—Si, Zr—B; Ti—Al; Ni—Mg; or Mg—Bi.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the activating comprises exposing the composition to a selected form of energy comprising one or more of the following: electric current; an electromagnetic radiation; or heat.

21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the matrix material is one or more of the following: an ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber; a butadiene rubber; a styrene-butadiene rubber; a natural rubber; an acrylonitrile butadiene rubber; a styrene-butadiene-acrylonitrile resin; a butadiene-nitrile rubber; a polyisoprene rubber; an acrylate-butadiene rubber; a polychloroprene rubber; an acrylate-isoprene rubber; an ethylene-vinyl acetate rubber; a polypropylene oxide rubber; a polypropylene sulfide rubber; a fluoroelastomer; or a thermoplastic polyurethane rubber.

22 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the condensed expandable graphite material further comprises a binder containing one or more of the following: SiO 2 ; Si; B; B 2 O 3 ; a metal; or a metal alloy; wherein the metal is one or more of the following: aluminum; copper; titanium; nickel; tungsten; chromium; iron; manganese; zirconium; hafnium; vanadium; niobium; molybdenum; tin; bismuth; antimony; lead; cadmium; or selenium.

23 . The method of claim 17 further comprising disposing a microwave source in the vicinity of the article, wherein the microwave source is effective to generate a microwave energy to heat and expand the composition.

24 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises isolating or completing a wellbore by deploying the article in the wellbore.

25 . The method of claim 17 , the method comprising:
positioning a tubing at a downhole location; wherein the article is disposed on a surface of the tubing; exposing the article to a microwave energy to cause the articl

Assignees

• Zhao Lei
• Xu Zhiyue
• Goodson James Edward
• Furlan Wayne R
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Zhao Lei
• Xu Zhiyue
• Goodson James Edward
• Furlan Wayne R

Classifications

• C08K3/041

  Carbon nanotubes · CPC title

• F16J15/068

  the packing swelling under working conditions · CPC title

• C08K2201/011

  Nanostructured additives · CPC title

• F16J15/02

  between relatively-stationary surfaces (F16J15/46, F16J15/48 take precedence) · CPC title

• C08K2201/016

  Additives defined by their aspect ratio · CPC title