High-stability functional ball for repeatedly opening and closing leaking stoppage circulation tool and preparation method of high-stability functional ball
By preparing highly stable functional spheres composed of polyetheretherketone, glass fiber, and silicon nitride, the problems of fragility and corrosion of activation functional spheres in existing tools have been solved, and the stability and durability in harsh environments have been improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510050107.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-24
- Estimated Expiration
- Not applicable · inactive patent
AI Technical Summary
The activation ball of existing multiple-cycle plugging and sealing tools has poor performance stability and is fragile. The seals are easily corroded and damaged during oil drilling operations, leading to tool failure.
High-stability functional spheres are prepared using polyetheretherketone (PEEK), glass fiber, and silicon nitride as raw materials through high-temperature melting, pressure molding, and graded tempering. By combining the thermal conductivity of glass fiber and the biocompatibility of silicon nitride, the thermal expansion coefficient and stress concentration problems of PEEK are improved, and the mechanical strength and chemical stability are enhanced.
It improves the mechanical strength, rigidity, and thermal stability of the functional ball, enhances the surface wettability and interfacial bonding of polyetheretherketone, strengthens its stability under high temperature, high load, and corrosive environments, and reduces the risk of tool failure.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of drilling tool technology, and more specifically, to a highly stable functional ball for a tool used in multiple switching and plugging cycles, and a method for preparing the same. Background Technology
[0002] The Multiple-Switch Positive Loss Circulation Tool (MCCS) is a tool used to manage wellbore fluid losses during drilling, particularly suitable for deepwater operations and complex lost-circulation situations. Located within the BHA (Bottomhole Tool Assembly), the MCCS delivers a high concentration of lost-circulation material (such as LCM) to the wellbore through multiple switching cycles when fluid loss occurs, thereby solidifying and maintaining wellbore control. The MCCS uses multiple switching cycles to allow the lost-circulation material to flow out through the bypass port of the circulation sub, preventing clogging and corrosion of the bottom hole assembly. This design makes the plugging process more efficient while reducing well control risks.
[0003] The development and application of MCCS (Multiple-Switch Circulation Tool) began in 2019. With the increase in deepwater operations and complex well leakage problems, MCCS has gradually become an effective tool for dealing with these issues. Its simple structure makes it suitable for widespread use, especially excelling in well sections requiring frequent leakage control. The multiple-switch plugging and circulation tool can perform multiple high-concentration, large-particle plugging operations, as well as well washing or casing cleaning, effectively reducing on-site well control risks, in the event of a leakage accident or other incident. However, the seals used in the multiple-switch plugging and circulation tool are susceptible to corrosion and damage under oil drilling conditions. The tool requires high sealing performance, especially since the two sets of sliding seals on the outer sleeve can directly lead to tool failure if damaged.
[0004] The main function of the activation ball is to control the opening of the bypass valve through ball-drop activation. When the ball enters a specific position of the bypass valve, it triggers the bypass valve's opening mechanism, thereby changing the downhole circulation conditions and achieving specific operational requirements. With the development of the drilling industry, the technical requirements for the activation balls used in multiple-stage plugging and circulation tools, such as sealing, high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and shear pressure resistance, are gradually increasing. Currently, most activation balls are made of plastic or iron, which has the following disadvantages: the performance stability of existing activation balls for multiple-stage plugging and circulation tools is poor, and they are fragile. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a highly stable functional ball for a tool for multiple switching and plugging cycles, which has the advantages of good mechanical strength, rigidity, thermal stability and chemical stability.
[0006] Another objective of this application is to provide a method for preparing a highly stable functional ball for a tool for multiple switching and plugging cycles. This method can improve the problems of large thermal expansion coefficient and stress concentration inherent in polyether ether ketone raw materials.
[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows:
[0008] On the one hand, this application provides a highly stable functional ball for a tool for multiple switching and plugging cycles. By weight percentage, the raw materials of the functional ball include 65-80% polyetheretherketone, 15-30% glass fiber, and 5-15% silicon nitride.
[0009] On the other hand, this application provides a method for preparing a highly stable functional ball for a multiple-cycle plugging and sealing tool, comprising the following steps:
[0010] S1. Polyetheretherketone, glass fiber and silicon nitride are thoroughly mixed and dried to obtain a mixture;
[0011] S2. The mixture is melted at high temperature and then injected into a spherical mold for pressure molding. After being cooled to room temperature, the shaped sphere is obtained.
[0012] S3. The shaped sphere is subjected to graded tempering treatment, and after cooling, the surface of the sphere is finely machined to obtain the functional sphere.
[0013] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of this application have at least the following advantages or beneficial effects:
[0014] 1. Regarding the first aspect, this application uses polyetheretherketone (PEEK) as the main raw material for functional balls. PEEK has a melting point of 334℃ and a low coefficient of friction, thus possessing advantages such as high temperature resistance and high mechanical strength. It can be used in harsh environments such as high temperature, high load, and strong corrosion, improving the stability of the functional balls. Glass fiber and silicon nitride are added to the PEEK base. Glass fiber improves the thermal conductivity, rigidity, and mechanical properties of the functional balls, compensating for the shortcomings of PEEK. Silicon nitride, with its good biocompatibility, can improve the poor surface wettability of PEEK. Adding an appropriate amount of silicon nitride to the PEEK-glass fiber system can promote and improve the compatibility between glass fiber and PEEK, significantly enhancing interfacial wettability, improving the permeability and adhesion between the filler and the polymer, and improving the mixing effect. The final functional balls combine the advantages of PEEK and glass fiber, exhibiting good mechanical strength, rigidity, thermal stability, and chemical stability.
[0015] 2. Regarding the second aspect, the melting temperature of this application is set at 350-400℃, which allows polyetheretherketone to melt fully and mix evenly with silicon nitride and glass fiber. Applying appropriate pressure during the molding process can ensure good bonding between PEEK and glass fiber. Considering the large coefficient of thermal expansion of PEEK, air cooling and staged tempering are used during cooling to improve its crystallization performance and solve its stress concentration problem. In particular, the residual stress in the PEEK composite material can be released after tempering, so that a good interfacial bond can be formed between the filler and the polymer, improving the cracks or deformations that may occur in PEEK during processing and improving the mechanical properties of the functional spheres. Detailed Implementation
[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below. Where specific conditions are not specified in the embodiments, conventional conditions or conditions recommended by the manufacturer shall apply. Reagents or instruments whose manufacturers are not specified are all conventional products that can be purchased commercially.
[0017] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present application will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments.
[0018] A highly stable functional ball for a tool for multiple switching and plugging cycles, wherein the raw materials of the functional ball, by weight percentage, include 65-80% polyetheretherketone, 15-30% glass fiber, and 5-15% silicon nitride.
[0019] In some embodiments of this application, the length of the glass fiber is 10-25 mm; the particle size of the silicon nitride is 10-50 μm.
[0020] A method for preparing a highly stable functional ball for a tool used in multiple on / off plugging cycles includes the following steps:
[0021] S1. Polyetheretherketone, glass fiber and silicon nitride are thoroughly mixed and dried to obtain a mixture;
[0022] S2. The mixture is melted at high temperature and then injected into a spherical mold for pressure molding. After being cooled to room temperature, the shaped sphere is obtained.
[0023] S3. The shaped sphere is subjected to graded tempering treatment, and after cooling, the surface of the sphere is finely machined to obtain the functional sphere.
[0024] In some embodiments of this application, the thorough mixing in step S1 is specifically achieved by mixing in a high-speed mixer for 10-30 minutes at a speed of 1000-2000 rpm.
[0025] In some embodiments of this application, the drying temperature of step S1 is 90-110°C and the drying time is 0.5-5h.
[0026] In some embodiments of this application, the high-temperature melting temperature in step S2 above is 350-400°C.
[0027] In some embodiments of this application, the pressure parameter for pressure forming in step S2 above is 5-20 MPa.
[0028] In some embodiments of this application, the graded tempering treatment in step S3 above specifically involves tempering at 140-160°C for 1-3 hours, followed by tempering at 175-190°C for 1-2 hours.
[0029] In some embodiments of this application, the pressure during the above-mentioned tempering and heat preservation is 5-15 MPa.
[0030] The features and performance of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments.
[0031] Example 1
[0032] A highly stable functional ball for a tool used in multiple on / off sealing cycles is prepared by the following method:
[0033] Raw material preparation: 75% polyetheretherketone, 20% glass fiber with a length of 20mm and 5% silicon nitride with a particle size of 20-50μm;
[0034] The above raw materials were placed in a high-speed mixer and mixed at 1500 rpm for 25 minutes, and then dried in a 100°C dryer for 2 hours to obtain the mixture.
[0035] The mixture is melted at a high temperature of 380℃, then injected into a special spherical mold, and molded by applying a pressure of 10MPa. After being cooled to room temperature by air, the shaped spheres are demolded.
[0036] The sphere is reintroduced into the muffle furnace and tempered at 150°C and 10MPa for 2.5 hours. Then, the temperature is adjusted to 180°C and tempered for another 1.5 hours. Finally, after cooling, the surface of the sphere is finished to obtain the functional sphere of this embodiment.
[0037] Example 2
[0038] A highly stable functional ball for a tool used in multiple on / off sealing cycles is prepared by the following method:
[0039] Raw material preparation: 70% polyetheretherketone, 15% glass fiber with a length of 15-20mm, and 15% silicon nitride with a particle size of 20-50μm;
[0040] The above raw materials were placed in a high-speed mixer and mixed at 1800 rpm for 25 minutes, and then dried in a 95°C dryer for 2.5 hours to obtain the mixture.
[0041] The mixture is melted at a high temperature of 380℃, then injected into a special spherical mold, and molded by applying a pressure of 12MPa. After being cooled to room temperature by air, the shaped spheres are demolded.
[0042] The sphere is reintroduced into the muffle furnace and tempered at 150°C and 12MPa for 2.5 hours. Then, the temperature is adjusted to 180°C and tempered for 1 hour. Finally, after cooling, the surface of the sphere is finished to obtain the functional sphere of this embodiment.
[0043] Example 3
[0044] A highly stable functional ball for a tool used in multiple on / off sealing cycles is prepared by the following method:
[0045] Raw material preparation: 80% polyetheretherketone, 15% glass fiber with a length of 15-20mm, and 5% silicon nitride with a particle size of 20-50μm;
[0046] The above raw materials were placed in a high-speed mixer and mixed at 2000 rpm for 25 minutes, and then dried in a 95°C dryer for 3 hours to obtain the mixture.
[0047] The mixture is melted at a high temperature of 380℃, then injected into a special spherical mold, and molded by applying a pressure of 12MPa. After being cooled to room temperature by air, the shaped spheres are demolded.
[0048] The sphere is reintroduced into the muffle furnace and tempered at 155°C and 5MPa for 3 hours. Then, the temperature is adjusted to 185°C and tempered for 1.5 hours. Finally, after cooling, the surface of the sphere is finished to obtain the functional sphere of this embodiment.
[0049] Example 4
[0050] A highly stable functional ball for a tool used in multiple on / off sealing cycles is prepared by the following method:
[0051] Raw material preparation: 65% polyetheretherketone, 30% glass fiber with a length of 10-20mm and 5% silicon nitride with a particle size of 10-50μm;
[0052] The above raw materials were placed in a high-speed mixer and mixed at 2000 rpm for 20 minutes, and then dried in a 90℃ dryer for 5 hours to obtain the mixture.
[0053] The mixture is melted at a high temperature of 400℃, then injected into a special spherical mold, and molded by applying a pressure of 10MPa. After being cooled to room temperature by air, the shaped spheres are demolded.
[0054] The sphere is reintroduced into the muffle furnace and tempered at 145°C and 10MPa for 1.5 hours. Then, the temperature is adjusted to 190°C and tempered for 2 hours. Finally, after cooling, the surface of the sphere is finished to obtain the functional sphere of this embodiment.
[0055] Example 5
[0056] A highly stable functional ball for a tool used in multiple on / off sealing cycles is prepared by the following method:
[0057] Raw material preparation: 70% polyetheretherketone, 20% glass fiber with a length of 10-20mm and 10% silicon nitride with a particle size of 10-50μm;
[0058] The above raw materials were placed in a high-speed mixer and mixed at 1200 rpm for 30 minutes, and then dried in a 105℃ dryer for 2 hours to obtain the mixture.
[0059] The mixture is melted at a high temperature of 400℃, then injected into a special spherical mold, and molded by applying a pressure of 10MPa. After being cooled to room temperature by air, the shaped spheres are demolded.
[0060] The sphere is reintroduced into the muffle furnace and tempered at 155°C and 10MPa for 1.5 hours. Then, the temperature is adjusted to 185°C and tempered for 2 hours. Finally, after cooling, the surface of the sphere is finished to obtain the functional sphere of this embodiment.
[0061] Example 6
[0062] A highly stable functional ball for a tool used in multiple on / off sealing cycles is prepared by the following method:
[0063] Raw material preparation: 72% polyetheretherketone, 18% glass fiber with a length of 10-20mm and 10% silicon nitride with a particle size of 10-50μm;
[0064] The above raw materials were placed in a high-speed mixer and mixed at 1000 rpm for 30 minutes, and then dried in a 110℃ dryer for 1.5 hours to obtain the mixture.
[0065] The mixture is melted at a high temperature of 400℃, then injected into a special spherical mold, and molded by applying a pressure of 10MPa. After being cooled to room temperature by air, the shaped spheres are demolded.
[0066] The sphere is reintroduced into the muffle furnace and tempered at 155°C and 5MPa for 3 hours. Then, the temperature is adjusted to 185°C and tempered for 2 hours. Finally, after cooling, the surface of the sphere is finished to obtain the functional sphere of this embodiment.
[0067] Example 7
[0068] A highly stable functional ball for a tool used in multiple on / off sealing cycles is prepared by the following method:
[0069] Raw material preparation: 75% polyetheretherketone, 20% glass fiber with a length of 10-20mm and 5% silicon nitride with a particle size of 10-50μm;
[0070] The above raw materials were placed in a high-speed mixer and mixed at 1000 rpm for 30 minutes, and then dried in a 110℃ dryer for 1.5 hours to obtain the mixture.
[0071] The mixture is melted at a high temperature of 400℃, then injected into a special spherical mold, and molded by applying a pressure of 15MPa. After being cooled to room temperature by air, the shaped spheres are demolded.
[0072] The sphere is reintroduced into the muffle furnace and tempered at 155°C and 15MPa for 1.5 hours. Then, the temperature is adjusted to 185°C and tempered for another 1.5 hours. Finally, after cooling, the surface of the sphere is finished to obtain the functional sphere of this embodiment.
[0073] Comparative Example 1
[0074] The difference between Comparative Example 1 and Example 1 is that silicon nitride is not added in this comparative example, and the raw materials are: 75% polyetheretherketone and 25% glass fiber with a length of 20 mm.
[0075] Comparative Example 2
[0076] The difference between Comparative Example 2 and Example 1 is that the preparation process of Comparative Example 2 does not include a graded tempering step.
[0077] Comparative Example 3
[0078] The difference between Comparative Example 3 and Example 1 is that the tempering process in this comparative example uses isothermal tempering, which is carried out at 150°C and 10MPa for 4 hours.
[0079] The tensile strength of the functional balls prepared in the examples and comparative examples was tested, and functional balls prepared with 100% PEEK were used as a blank control group. The results are shown in Table 1.
[0080] Table 1
[0081]
[0082]
[0083] As shown in Table 1, the process in this embodiment can significantly and stably improve the mechanical properties of the polymer functional spheres. In Comparative Example 1, without the addition of silicon nitride, even with an increased amount of glass fiber, the tensile properties decreased, indicating that the addition of silicon nitride is beneficial to the composite of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and glass fiber. In Comparative Examples 2 and 3, the tempering process was adjusted, and the effect was significantly reduced. Furthermore, some defective spheres in the batches prepared in the blank control group and Comparative Example 2 showed fine cracks, indicating that staged tempering can indeed release the stress within PEEK and improve the mechanical properties of the functional spheres.
[0084] In summary, the high-stability functional ball and its preparation method for a multiple-cycle plugging and sealing tool according to embodiments of this application have the following advantages: 1. This application uses polyetheretherketone (PEEK) as the main raw material for the functional ball. PEEK has a melting point of 334℃ and a low coefficient of friction, thus possessing advantages such as high temperature resistance and high mechanical strength. It can be used in harsh environments such as high temperature, high load, and strong corrosion, improving the stability of the functional ball. Glass fiber and silicon nitride are added to the polyetheretherketone base. Glass fiber, with its higher aspect ratio, can improve the thermal conductivity, rigidity, and mechanical properties of the functional ball, compensating for the shortcomings of polyetheretherketone. Silicon nitride, with its good biocompatibility, can improve the poor surface wettability of polyetheretherketone. Adding an appropriate amount of silicon nitride to the polyetheretherketone-glass fiber system can promote and improve the compatibility between glass fiber and polyetheretherketone, significantly enhancing interfacial wettability, strengthening the permeability and adhesion between the filler and the polymer, and improving the mixing effect. The final functional ball combines the advantages of polyetheretherketone and glass fiber, exhibiting good mechanical strength, rigidity, thermal stability, and chemical stability.
[0085] 2. The melting temperature of this application is set at 350-400℃, which allows polyetheretherketone to melt fully and mix evenly with silicon nitride and glass fiber. Applying appropriate pressure during the molding process can ensure good bonding between PEEK and glass fiber. Considering the large coefficient of thermal expansion of PEEK, air cooling and staged tempering are used during cooling to improve its crystallinity and solve its stress concentration problem. In particular, the residual stress in the PEEK composite material can be released after tempering, so that a good interfacial bond can be formed between the filler and the polymer, improving the cracks or deformations that may occur in PEEK during processing and improving the mechanical properties of the functional spheres.
[0086] The embodiments described above are some, but not all, of the embodiments of this application. The detailed description of the embodiments of this application is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
Claims
1. A highly stable functional ball for a tool used in multiple on / off leak-sealing cycles, characterized in that, By weight percentage, the raw materials of the functional spheres include 65-80% polyetheretherketone, 15-30% glass fiber, and 5-15% silicon nitride.
2. The high-stability functional ball for a multiple-cycle plugging and sealing tool according to claim 1, characterized in that, The glass fiber has a length of 10-25 mm; the silicon nitride has a particle size of 10-50 μm.
3. A method for preparing a highly stable functional ball for a multiple-cycle plugging and sealing tool as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Polyetheretherketone, glass fiber and silicon nitride are thoroughly mixed and dried to obtain a mixture; S2. The mixture is melted at high temperature and then injected into a spherical mold for pressure molding. After being cooled to room temperature, the shaped sphere is obtained. S3. The shaped sphere is subjected to graded tempering treatment, and after cooling, the surface of the sphere is finely machined to obtain the functional sphere.
4. The method for preparing a highly stable functional ball for a multiple-cycle plugging and sealing tool according to claim 3, characterized in that, The thorough mixing in step S1 specifically involves mixing in a high-speed mixer for 10-30 minutes at a speed of 1000-2000 rpm.
5. The method for preparing a highly stable functional ball for a multiple-cycle plugging and sealing tool according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drying temperature in step S1 is 90-110℃, and the drying time is 0.5-5h.
6. The method for preparing a highly stable functional ball for a multiple-cycle plugging and sealing tool according to claim 3, characterized in that, The high-temperature melting temperature in step S2 is 350-400℃.
7. The method for preparing a highly stable functional ball for a multiple-cycle plugging and sealing tool according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pressure parameters for pressure forming in step S2 are 5-20 MPa.
8. The method for preparing a highly stable functional ball for a multiple-cycle plugging and sealing tool according to claim 3, characterized in that, The graded tempering process in step S3 specifically involves tempering at 140-160℃ for 1-3 hours, followed by tempering at 175-190℃ for 1-2 hours.
9. A method for preparing a highly stable functional ball for a multiple-cycle plugging and sealing tool according to claim 8, characterized in that, The pressure during the tempering and heat preservation is 5-15 MPa.