Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene Particulate for Fracturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional polyethylene exhibits softness, flow, and agglomeration under high stress and temperature, making it unsuitable for certain applications where hardness and reduced flow are desired.
Innovation Solution
Development of highly crosslinked polymer particulate with polyethylene polymer chains that include chemical crosslinks, which covalently bond polyethylene chains, enhancing mechanical and thermal properties and preventing agglomeration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional polyethylene is used, then it exhibits softness and flexibility, but it flows and agglomerates under high stress and temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies chemical crosslinking to transform the molecular structure of polyethylene, changing the physical and chemical parameters of the material. This crosslinking creates a three-dimensional network structure that fundamentally alters the material's response to stress and temperature, preventing chain slippage and molecular reorganization that cause flow and agglomeration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure at the molecular level by forming covalent bonds between polyethylene chains. This composite network structure combines the desirable properties of polyethylene with the structural stability of crosslinked networks, achieving both hardness and resistance to flow/agglomeration simultaneously.
2Strength
If polyethylene is chemically crosslinked to improve mechanical and thermal properties, then hardness and strength increase, but the material may become too rigid for certain applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs controlled crosslinking that creates local variations in crosslink density within the polyethylene structure. This allows different regions of the material to have different properties - some areas provide strength and hardness while other areas maintain flexibility and adaptability, enabling the material to meet diverse application requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial crosslinking rather than complete crosslinking of all polyethylene chains. This partial action approach maintains sufficient flexibility and adaptability while achieving the necessary mechanical strength improvement, avoiding the excessive rigidity that would result from complete crosslinking.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The highly crosslinked polyethylene particulate demonstrates improved hardness, reduced flow, and decreased agglomeration, maintaining stability under stress and temperature, suitable for applications such as hydraulic fracturing and wellbore operations.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of chemical crosslinks includes chemical crosslinks that covalently bond a given polyethylene polymer chain of the plurality of polyethylene polymer chains to another polyethylene polymer chain of the plurality of polyethylene polymer chains
Data Source
AI summary
Highly crosslinked polymer particulate. The highly crosslinked polymer particulate includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules. The crosslinked polymer granules include a highly crosslinked polymeric material. A characteristic dimension of each crosslinked polymer granule of the plurality of crosslinked polymer granules is at least 10 micrometers and at most 5 millimeters.