# US 10,501,673 B2 · Inorganic fullerene-like particles and inorganic tubular-like particles in fluids and lubricants and applications to subterranean drilling

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- Number: US 10,501,673 B2
- Document ID: US10501673B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/182,949
- Filed: 2014-02-18
- Published: 2014-08-21
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-02-19
- Assignees: Nanotech Industrial Solutions, Inc.
- Applicants: Nanotech Industrial Solutions, Inc.
- Inventors: Eugene Kverel; George Diloyan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501673B2

## CPC

- C09K 8/032: {Inorganic additives}
- C10M 125/22: Compounds containing sulfur, selenium or tellurium
- C09K 2208/34: Lubricant additives
- C10M 125/10: Metal oxides, hydroxides, carbonates or bicarbonates
- C10M 2201/065: Sulfides; Selenides; Tellurides
- C10M 2215/08: Amides [having hydrocarbon substituents containing less than thirty carbon atoms]
- C10N 2020/06: Particles of special shape or size
- C10N 2030/06: Oiliness; Film-strength; Anti-wear; Resistance to extreme pressure
- C10N 2040/25: Internal-combustion engines
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- C10M: LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS (well drilling compositions C09K8/02); USE OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES EITHER ALONE OR AS LUBRICATING INGREDIENTS IN A LUBRICATING COMPOSITION (mould release, i.e. separating, agents for metals B22C3/00, for plastics or substances in a plastic state, in general B29C33/56, for glass C03B40/02; textile lubricating compositions D06M11/00, D06M13/00, D06M15/00; immersion oils for microscopy G02B21/33)
- C10N: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS C10M RELATING TO LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS

## Abstract

A drilling fluid including a drilling fluid medium selected from the group consisting of water, air and water, air and foaming agent, a water based mud, an oil based mud, a synthetic based fluid, and a composition thereof. The drilling fluid also includes at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX2, where M is a metallic element such as tungsten (W), and X is a chalcogen element such as sulfur (S), wherein the intercalation compound has a fullerene-like hollow structure or tubular-like structure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lubricant comprising:
a fluid medium;
at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX2, where M is a metallic element selected from the group consisting of molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W) and combinations thereof, and X is a chalcogen element of sulfur (S), wherein the intercalation compound has a fullerene-like structure having a caged geometry that is solid at its core and layered at its periphery and the intercalation compound is present in the lubricant in an amount of greater than 0.1 wt % by weight, the periphery of the intercalation compound being an exfoliating layer that provides an intercalation material on friction surfaces that that at least one intercalation compound contacts; and
a functionalizing agent that interacts with the at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX2 to form a succinimide group surface functionalization on the at least one intercalation compound to provide a dispersion of the intercalation compound having the fullerene-like structure with the caged geometry that does not settle for a period of time ranging from 3 years to 5 years at room temperature.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the fluid medium comprises Group I, II, III, IV, and V lubricants, synthetic oils, mineral oils, water based and oil based drilling fluids and bio-lubricants or combinations thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the synthetic oils comprise polyalpha-olefins, olefins, isomerized olefins, synthetic esters, phosphate esters, silicate esters, polyalkylene glycols or combinations thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the bio-lubricants comprise lanolin, whale oil, canola oil, castor oil, palm oil, sunflower seed oil, rapeseed oil, tall oil or combinations thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide is a particle having a fullerene-like geometry and a diameter ranging from 5 nm to 5 μm.

### Claim 6

A drilling fluid comprising:
a drilling fluid medium selected from the group consisting of water, air and water, air and foaming agent, a water based mud, an oil based mud, a synthetic based fluid, and a combination thereof;
at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX2, where M is a metallic element selected from the group consisting of titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), technetium (Tc), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), osmium (Os), iridium (1r), platinum (Pt), gold (Au), mercury (Hg) and a combination thereof, and X is a chalcogen element selected from the group consisting of sulfur (S), selenium (Se), tellurium (Te), oxygen (O) and a combination thereof, wherein the intercalation compound has a fullerene-like structure having a caged geometry that is solid at its core and layered at its periphery, the periphery of the intercalation compound being an exfoliating layer that provides an intercalation material on friction surfaces that that at least one intercalation compound contacts, and the intercalation compound is present in the drilling fluid in an amount of greater than 0.1 wt % by weight; and
a functionalizing agent that interacts with the at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX2 to form a succinimide group surface functionalization on the at least one intercalation compound to provide a dispersion of the intercalation compound having the fullerene-like structure with the caged geometry that does not settle for a period of time ranging from 3 years to 5 years at room temperature.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The drilling fluid of claim 6, wherein the functionalizing agent is present in an amount ranging from 0.1 wt. % to 50 wt. %.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The drilling fluid of claim 6, wherein the intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide is a particle having a fullerene-like geometry and a diameter ranging from 5 nm to 5 μm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the functionalizing agent is present in an amount ranging from 0.1 wt. % to 50 wt. %.

### Claim 10

A lubricant comprising:
a fluid medium of synthetic oils having a composition selected from the group consisting of polyalpha-olefins, olefins, isomerized olefins, synthetic esters, phosphate esters, silicate esters, polyalkylene glycols and combinations thereof;
at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having a composition selected from the group consisting of tungsten disulfide (WS2), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and a combination thereof, wherein the intercalation compound has a fullerene-like structure having a caged geometry that is solid at its core and layered at its periphery and the intercalation compound is present in the lubricant in an amount of greater than 0.1 wt % by weight, the periphery of the intercalation compound being an exfoliating layer that provides an intercalation material on friction surfaces that that at least one intercalation compound contacts; and
a functionalizing agent that interacts with the at least one intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide selected from the group consisting of tungsten disulfide (WS2), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and a combination thereof to form a succinimide group surface functionalization on the at least one intercalation compound to stabilize a dispersion of the at least one intercalation compound in the fluid medium by resisting agglomeration of the intercalation compound having the fullerene-like structure with the caged geometry.