Fluorinated Elastomer Blends for Chemically Resistant Wellbore Seals
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Elastomers used in wellbore applications face challenges due to chemical and thermal incompatibilities with well conditions, limiting their effectiveness and availability, particularly in environments with aromatic hydrocarbons, diesel, H2S, formates, and high pH fluids, and existing blends face processing complexities.
Innovation Solution
Blending partially fluorinated elastomers like tetrafluoroethylene propylene elastomers with fluorocarbon rubbers, such as vinylidene fluoride-based elastomers, to create a homogenous mixture that maintains chemical resistance and sealing performance across a wide range of wellbore conditions, using compatible cure systems and optional additives to enhance properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If perfluorinated elastomers are used to achieve excellent chemical compatibility and thermal performance, then chemical resistance and thermal stability are improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines perfluorinated elastomer with other fluorinated elastomers or polymers to create a blend that achieves the desired chemical resistance and thermal stability without requiring pure perfluorinated elastomer, thereby simplifying manufacturing and reducing cost while maintaining performance
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material formulation by blending perfluorinated elastomer with other fluorinated materials to create a composite elastomer system that balances performance requirements with manufacturing feasibility and cost-effectiveness
2Reliability
If perfluorinated elastomers are used to achieve excellent chemical compatibility, then chemical resistance is improved, but availability and cost are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges perfluorinated elastomer with other readily available fluorinated materials to create a blend that maintains chemical resistance while improving availability and reducing dependency on scarce perfluorinated elastomer supplies
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the compositional parameters of the elastomer system by incorporating varying proportions of alternative fluorinated materials, thereby adjusting availability and cost while maintaining acceptable chemical resistance performance
3Strength
If elastomers are selected to provide good sealing performance, then sealing capability is improved, but chemical and thermal compatibility with well conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selecting specific fluorinated materials with particular chemical and thermal properties that are compatible with well conditions, while maintaining the overall sealing performance through optimized blend composition and curing characteristics
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 blended elastomers exhibit excellent sealing performance under pressure and temperature variations, with improved chemical compatibility, resisting H2S, formates, amines, aromatic hydrocarbons, and high pH environments, while avoiding complex processing requirements.
Implementation Method 1
Elastomers are a useful part of any sealing system due to their visco-elastic properties
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides elastomer blends comprising mixtures of partially fluorinated elastomers, such as tetrafluoroethylene propylene elastomers (FEPM or TFEP) and fluorocarbon rubbers, such as vinylidene fluoride-based elastomers (FKM or FEP). The elastomer blends can be prepared using two-roll mills, internal mixers, or other mixing technique and can be molded into seals, gaskets, o-rings or other articles using extrusion, injection molding, compression molding or the like. The resultant elastomeric articles can provide good sealing performance, including at moderate or low temperatures, and exhibit good chemical compatibility and resistance when exposed to common wellbore environments. In some cases, the elastomer blends can provide performance characteristics previously only available from perfluorinated elastomers (FFKM), but without requiring the complex processing conditions associated with preparing perfluorinated elastomers.