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US 10,865,465 B2Granted
Degradable metal matrix composite
AssigneeTerves, LLC
InventorsAndrew J. Sherman, Nicholas Farkas, David Wolf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to the composition and production of an engineered degradable metal matrix composite that is useful in constructing temporary systems requiring wear resistance, high hardness, and/or high resistance to deformation in water-bearing applications such as, but not limited to, oil and gas completion operations.
Claims20
A method for forming a degradable composite comprising:
- a. providing a plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles having a hardness greater than 50 HRC;
- b. providing one or more galvanically active elements selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, copper, cobalt, titanium silver, gold, gallium, bismuth, palladium, carbon, and indium;
- c. combining said plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles and said one or more galvanically-active elements;
- d. adding a molten degradable metal matrix to said plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles and said one or more galvanically-active elements, said molten degradable metal matrix including greater than 50 wt. % magnesium and aluminum;
- e. dispersing said plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles and said one or more galvanically-active elements in said molten degradable metal matrix;
- and
- f. cooling said degradable metal matrix to form said degradable composite, said degradable composite having a surface regression rate of at least 0.02 mm/hr. at 35° C. to 200° C. in 100-100,000 ppm freshwater or brine, said degradable composite having a hardness of greater than 22 Rockwell C, said composite including at least 10 vol. % degradable metal matrix, at least 0.03 vol. % galvanically-active elements, and at least 20 vol. % ceramic or intermetallic particles.
4 more elements
A method for forming a degradable composite, said method comprises:
- a. providing a plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles having a hardness greater than 50 HRC;
- b. providing one or more galvanically active elements selected from the group consisting of calcium, barium, lithium, sodium, potassium, iron, nickel, copper, cobalt, titanium silver, gold, gallium, bismuth, lead, palladium, carbon, and indium;
- c. combining said plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles and said one or more galvanically-active elements, said ceramic or intermetallic particles having a particle size of 0.1-1000 microns;
- d. adding a molten degradable metal matrix to said plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles and said one or more galvanically-active elements, said molten degradable metal matrix selected from i) a magnesium alloy including greater than 50 wt. % magnesium, and ii) an aluminum alloy including greater than 50 wt. % aluminum;
- e. dispersing said plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles and said one or more galvanically-active elements in said molten degradable metal matrix;
- and
- f. cooling said degradable metal matrix to form said degradable composite, said degradable composite having a degradation rate of at least 5 mg/cm2/hr. at 35° C. in 100-100,000 ppm freshwater or brine, said degradable composite having a hardness of greater than 22 Rockwell C, said composite including at least 10 vol. % degradable metal matrix, at least 0.03 vol. % galvanically-active elements, and at least 10 vol. % ceramic or intermetallic particles.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.