Elastomer compositions with silane functionalized silica as reinforcing fillers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9403962-B2
Application number	US-201113335086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2011
Priority date	Dec 22, 2011
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to silane functionalized fillers that may be, for example, covalently coupled to a polymer. In some examples, devices that include the filler reinforced polymer compositions are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composition suitable for use in high temperature downhole environments greater than 150° C. comprising a fluoropolymer covalently coupled to a filler through a thermally stable silane coupling agent, the fluoropolymer comprising a cure site monomer incorporated therein, wherein the silane coupling agent is bonded to the cure site monomer of the fluropolymer and wherein the silane coupling agent has a chemically identical reactive moiety to the cure site monomer and wherein the filler is surface treated with the silane coupling agent; and the cure site monomer is selected from one of bromine-containing olefins, bromine-containing vinyl ethers, iodine-containing olefins, iodine-containing vinyl ethers, fluorine-containing olefins having a nitrile group, fluorine-containing vinyl ethers having a nitrile group, and non-conjugated dienes.

2. The composition of claim 1 , in which the fluoropolymer is synthesized using monomers selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VDF), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), and a perfluoro(alkylvinyl ether) (PAVE).

3. The composition of claim 2 , in which the filler is selected from the group consisting of precipitated silica, amorphous silica, vitreous silica, fumed silica, fused silica, quartz, glass, aluminum, aluminum-silicate, copper, tin, talc, inorganic oxides, steel, iron, asbestos, nickel, zinc, silver, lead, marble, chalk, gypsum, barites, graphite, carbon black, and treated carbon black.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the silane coupling agent has the formula Q m -Si—Z n , where Q comprises one or more groups that can provide covalent attachment to the polymer, Z comprises one or more groups that can provide covalent attachment to the filler, and the sum of m+n is equal to four.

5. The composition of claim 4 , wherein Q is —R″-G or —CR′ 2 —CR′—R″-G, where R′ is a hydrogen or a fluorine, R″ is a linear or branched C 1 -C 18 alkyl group, optionally containing one or more ether oxygen atoms and optionally fluorinated, and G is a halogen, a nitrile group, or a vinyl group.

6. The composition of claim 1 , in which all of the reactive sites of the filler are covalently coupled to the silane coupling agent.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the silane coupling agent has chemically identical reactive moiety as the pendant group of the cure site monomer.

8. A moving or progressive cavity motor or pump assembly having an inlet end and an outlet end for use in a downhole environment, the motor or pump comprising:
a housing;
a rotor and a stator disposed within the housing, wherein a surface of the rotor or the stator is made of an elastomer material to permit a seal to form between contacting surfaces of the rotor and the stator; wherein the elastomer material comprises a fluoropolymer covalently coupled to a filler through a thermally stable silane coupling agent, wherein the silane coupling agent is bonded to a cure site moiety of the fluropolymer and wherein the silane coupling agent has a chemically identical reactive moiety to a cure site moiety of the fluoropolymer and wherein the filler is surface treated with the silane coupling agent.

9. The motor or pump of claim 8 , in which the polymer is a fluoropolymer synthesized using monomers selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride (VDF), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), and a perfluoro(alkylvinyl ether) (PAVE).

10. The motor or pump of claim 9 , in which the filler is selected from the group consisting of precipitated silica, amorphous silica, vitreous silica, fumed silica, fused silica, quartz, glass, aluminum, aluminum-silicate, copper, tin, talc, inorganic oxides, steel, iron, asbestos, nickel, zinc, silver, lead, marble, chalk, gypsum, barites, graphite, carbon black, and treated carbon black.

11. The motor or pump of claim 8 , wherein the silane coupling agent has the formula Q m -Si—Z n , where Q comprises one or more groups that can provide covalent attachment to the polymer, Z comprises one or more groups that can provide covalent attachment to the filler, and the sum of m+n is equal to four.

12. The motor or pump of claim 11 , wherein Q is —R″-G or —CR′ 2 —CR′—R″-G, where R′ is a hydrogen or a fluorine, R″ is a linear or branched C 1 -C 18 alkyl group, optionally containing one or more ether oxygen atoms and optionally fluorinated, and G is a halogen, a nitrile group, or a vinyl group.

13. The motor or pump of claim 8 , wherein the fluoropolymer comprises a cure site monomer incorporated therein.

14. The motor or pump of claim 13 , wherein the silane coupling agent has chemically identical reactive moiety as the pendant group of the cure site monomer.

15. The motor or pump of claim 13 , wherein the cure site monomer is selected from one of bromine-containing olefins, bromine-containing vinyl ethers, iodine-containing olefins, iodine-containing vinyl ethers, fluorine-containing olefins having a nitrile group, fluorine-containing vinyl ethers having a nitrile group, and non-conjugated dienes.

Assignees

• Tu Huilin
• Robisson Agathe
• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Tu Huilin
• Robisson Agathe

Classifications

• F05C2225/04

  PTFE [PolyTetraFluorEthylene] · CPC title

• C08F8/18

  Introducing halogen atoms or halogen-containing groups · CPC title

• C07F7/1836

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• F04C2230/91

  Coating · CPC title

• C08K3/36 Primary

  Silica · CPC title