Fluoropolymer Pipe Yield Strength High Temperature Drilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipes used in drilling operations lack improved mechanical properties and thermal resistance at high operating temperatures while maintaining chemical resistance to corrosive agents.
Innovation Solution
A pipe comprising a polymer (F) with a specific composition of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and perfluoropropylvinylether (PPVE) units, manufactured through aqueous emulsion polymerization, offering enhanced yield strength and reduced creep strain for better performance under high pressure and temperature conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional TFE copolymers with PAVEs are used to manufacture pipes, then the pipes can be processed at high temperatures (above 100°C), but they exhibit insufficient mechanical properties and thermal resistance at temperatures above 200°C
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the fluoropolymer by incorporating specific comonomers (hexafluoropropylene and/or perfluoromethylvinyl ether) in controlled amounts (0.1-5 mol%) alongside TFE and PAVE units. This compositional parameter change enables the polymer to maintain both processability at high temperatures and enhanced mechanical strength with improved thermal resistance at temperatures above 200°C, resolving the contradiction between temperature range and strength properties.
2Quantity of substance
If deeper wells are drilled to access more resources, then more oil and gas can be extracted, but the pipes must withstand higher temperatures and pressures that exceed conventional material capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite fluoropolymer structure incorporating four types of recurring units (TFE, PAVE, HFP, and/or PMVE) with specific compositional ratios. This composite material structure combines the chemical inertness and high melting point of TFE-PAVE copolymers with the enhanced mechanical properties and thermal stability contributed by HFP and/or PMVE units, enabling pipes to withstand the extreme temperatures and pressures encountered in deeper well drilling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the polymer's chemical composition parameters by controlling the molar percentages of different recurring units, particularly incorporating 0.1-5 mol% of HFP and/or PMVE units. This parameter change enhances the polymer's mechanical strength and thermal resistance, allowing pipes to maintain reliability under the extreme conditions of deep well drilling while enabling access to greater oil and gas reserves.
3Temperature
If the melting point of fluoropolymers is increased to above 265°C for high temperature applications, then thermal resistance improves, but mechanical properties such as yield strength and creep resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the compositional parameters of the fluoropolymer by incorporating specific amounts of HFP and/or PMVE units (0.1-5 mol%) alongside TFE and PAVE units. This precise parameter control achieves a balanced polymer structure that maintains a high melting point (above 265°C) for thermal resistance while simultaneously improving mechanical properties including yield strength and creep strain resistance, thereby resolving the contradiction between thermal resistance and mechanical strength.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention pertains to a pipe being an unbonded flexible riser and comprising at least one layer at least comprising, preferably consisting essentially of (or being made of), a tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) copolymer comprising from 0.8% to 2.5% by weight of recurring units derived from at least one perfluorinated alkyl vinyl ether having formula (I) here below: CF2=CF-O-Rf (I) wherein Rf is a linear or branched C3-C5 perfluorinated alkyl group or a linear or branched C3-C12 perfluorinated oxyalkyl group comprising one or more ether oxygen atoms, said TFE copolymer having a melt flow index comprised between 0.5 and 6.0 g/10 min, as measured according to ASTM D1238 at 372°C under a load of 5 Kg [polymer (F)]. The invention also pertains to use of said pipe in downhole operations including drilling operations.