Functionally graded articles and methods of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9714709-B2
Application number	US-201414552832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2014
Priority date	Nov 25, 2014
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

An article comprises a first member comprising a first carbon composite; and a second member disposed on the first member and comprising a second carbon composite and a reinforcing agent, wherein the second member has a gradient in the weight ratio of the second carbon composite to the reinforcing agent, and wherein the first member has one or more of the following properties different than those of the second member: elasticity; corrosion resistance; erosion resistance; or hardness.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article comprising:
a first member comprising a first carbon composite; and
a second member disposed on the first member and comprising a second carbon composite and a reinforcing agent, the carbon in the first carbon composite and the carbon in the second carbon composite each independently comprising one or more of the following: expanded graphite; expandable graphite; natural graphite; or synthetic graphite;
wherein the second member has a gradient in the weight ratio of the second carbon composite to the reinforcing agent, and
wherein the first member has one or more of the following properties different than those of the second member: elasticity; corrosion resistance; erosion resistance; or hardness.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the gradient extends from an inner portion proximate the first member toward an outer portion away from the first member.

3. The article of clam 2 , wherein the gradient comprises a decreasing weight ratio of the second carbon composite to the reinforcing agent from the inner portion of the second member to the outer portion of the second member.

4. The article of clam 3 , wherein the gradient varies continuously from the inner portion of the second member to the outer portion of the second member.

5. The article of claim 3 , wherein the gradient varies in discrete steps from the inner portion of the second member to the outer portion of the second member.

6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the first carbon composite and the second carbon composite each independently comprise carbon microstructures having interstitial spaces among the carbon microstructures; wherein a binder is disposed in at least some of the interstitial spaces; and wherein the carbon microstructures comprise unfilled voids within the carbon microstructures.

7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second carbon composites each independently comprises at least two carbon microstructures and a binding phase disposed between the at least two carbon microstructures; and wherein the binding phase comprises a binder.

8. The article of claim 7 , wherein the binding phase comprises a binder layer and an interface layer bonding one of the at least two carbon microstructures to the binder layer; and wherein the interface layer comprises one or more of the following: a C-metal bond; a C—B bond; a C—Si bond; a C—O—Si bond; a C—O-metal bond; or a metal carbon solution.

9. The article of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing agent comprises one or more of the following: an oxide, a nitride, a carbide, an intermetallic compound, a metal, a metal alloy, a carbon fiber; carbon black; mica; clay; a glass fiber; or a ceramic material.

10. The article of claim 1 , wherein the article is a nuclear reactor pressure vessel seal; a nuclear actuator seal; a pump seal in nuclear plants; a pressure relieving seal; a rotary seal; a spool valve seal; a brake piston seal; a shaft seal; a bearing sealing; or a pinion seal.

11. The article of claim 1 , wherein the article is a downhole article selected from a seal; a seal seat; a seal assembly; a high pressure beaded frac screen plug; a screen base pipe plug; a rotary ball valve seal, a compression 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 back-up ring; a drill bit seal; a liner port plug; a debris barrier; a drill in stim liner plug; an inflow control device plug; a flapper; a ball seat; 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. An article comprising:
a first member comprising a first carbon composite; and
a second member disposed on the first member and comprising a second carbon composite and a reinforcing agent, the second member having a gradient in the weight ratio of the second carbon composite to the reinforcing agent;
wherein each of the first carbon composite and the second carbon composite independently comprises a carbon and a binder containing one or more of the following: SiO 2 ; Si; B; B 2 O 3 ; a metal; or an alloy of the metal; and 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; and
the first member has one or more of the following properties different than those of the second member: elasticity; corrosion resistance; erosion resistance; or hardness.

13. An article comprising:
a first member comprising a first carbon composite; and
a second member disposed on the first member and comprising a second carbon composite including a second carbon and a second binder, the carbon in the first carbon composite and the carbon in the second carbon composite each independently comprising one or more of the following: expanded graphite; expandable graphite; natural graphite; or synthetic graphite
wherein the second member has a gradient in the weight ratio of the second carbon to the second binder, and
wherein the first member has one or more of the following properties different than those of the second member: elasticity; corrosion resistance; erosion resistance; or hardness.

14. The article of claim 13 , wherein the gradient extends from an inner portion proximate the first member toward an outer portion away from the first member.

15. The article of clam 14 , wherein the gradient comprises a decreasing weight ratio of the second carbon to the second binder from the inner portion of the second member to the outer portion of the second member.

16. The article of claim 14 , wherein the second binder comprises one or more of the following: Ni; Cr; Fe; W; or Co.

17. A method of making an articled, the method comprising:
disposing a first powder mixture in a mold; the first powder mixture comprising a first carbon and a first binder;
disposing a second powder mixture on the first powder mixture to provide a combined composition; the second powder mixture comprising a second carbon, a second binder, and a reinforcing agent; and the second powder mixture having a gradient in the ratio of the sum of the weights of the second carbon and the second binder relative to the weight of the reinforcing agent; and
compressing the combined composition at a temperature of about 350° C. to about 1400° C. and a pressure of about 500 psi to about 30,000 psi to form the article;
wherein the compressed first powder forms a first member comprising a first carbon composite, the first carbon composite comprises the first carbon and the first binder; and
the compressed second powder forms a second member comprising the reinforcing agent and a second carbon composite, the second carbon composite comprising the second carbon and the second binder; and
wherein the article comprises:
the first member; and
the second member disposed on the first member;
the carbon in the first carbon composite and the carbon in the second carbon composite each independently comprising one or more of the following: expanded graphite; expandable graphite; natural graphite; or synthetic graphite;
the second member having a gradient in the weight ratio of the second carbon composite to the reinforcing agent, and
the first member has one or more of the following properties different than those of the second member: elasticity; corrosion resistance; erosion resistance; or hardness.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second p

Assignees

• Zhao Lei
• Xu Zhiyue
• Deng Guijun
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Zhao Lei
• Xu Zhiyue
• Deng Guijun

Classifications

• B32B18/00

  Layered products essentially comprising ceramics, e.g. refractory products · CPC title

• C04B35/522

  Graphite (C04B35/536 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C04B2235/3826

  Silicon carbides · CPC title

• C04B2235/3481

  Alkaline earth metal alumino-silicates other than clay, e.g. cordierite, beryl, micas such as margarite, plagioclase feldspars such as anorthite, zeolites such as chabazite · CPC title

• C04B2235/349

  Clays, e.g. bentonites, smectites such as montmorillonite, vermiculites or kaolines, e.g. illite, talc or sepiolite · CPC title