# US 11,078,560 B2 · System and method for applying amorphous metal coatings on surfaces for the reduction of friction

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- Number: US 11,078,560 B2
- Document ID: US11078560B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/599,138
- Filed: 2019-10-11
- Published: 2021-04-15
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-11
- Assignees: Cornerstone Intellectual Property, LLC
- Applicants: Cornerstone Intellectual Property, LLC
- Inventors: John Kang; Evelina Vogli; Ricardo Salas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078560B2

## CPC

- C22C 45/008: {with Fe, Co or Ni as the major constituent (C22C45/02, C22C45/04 take precedence)}
- C22C 45/02: with iron as the major constituent
- C22C 45/04: with nickel or cobalt as the major constituent
- C23C 4/073: containing MCrAl or MCrAlY alloys, where M is nickel, cobalt or iron, with or without non-metal elements
- C23C 4/08: containing only metal elements (C23C4/073 takes precedence)
- C23C 4/123: Spraying molten metal
- C23C 4/18: After-treatment
- C23C 30/00: Coating with metallic material characterised only by the composition of the metallic material, i.e. not characterised by the coating process (C23C26/00, C23C28/00 take precedence)
- E21B 17/1085: {Wear protectors; Blast joints; Hard facing}
- E21B 31/00: Fishing for or freeing objects in boreholes or wells
- C22C 2200/02: Amorphous
- E21B 7/046: {horizontal drilling (drilling with mechanical conveying means E21B7/003)}
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## Abstract

An embodiment relates to a composition comprising an amorphous alloy having a low coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.15 or less, wherein the amorphous alloy is substantially free of phosphor (P) and substantially free of boron (B). An embodiment relates to a method comprising solidifying a molten layer of an amorphous feedstock on a preexisting layer by controlling a heating source and a cooling rate so as to avoid formation of crystals in the molten layer and not affect a crystalline structure of the preexisting layer, and forming a specimen; wherein, the at least a portion specimen has the low COF. Another embodiment relates to a system comprising a drill string, wherein the drill string comprises a drilling bit and a drill pipe connected thereto, wherein at least a portion of the drill pipe comprises a coating having the low COF.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
solidifying a molten layer of a feedstock on a preexisting layer by controlling a heating source and a cooling rate so as to form an outermost layer comprising a partially amorphous alloy while avoiding formation of crystals in the molten layer and not affecting a crystalline structure of the preexisting layer, and
phase-transforming the partially amorphous alloy into a fully amorphous alloy such that the outermost layer has a coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.15 or less;
wherein the fully amorphous alloy comprises Fe100−(a++b+c+d)(CraXbYcZd), wherein: a is in a range of 10 to 50 at. %; b is in a range of 10 to 30 at. %; c is in a range of 2 to 10 at. %; and d is in a range of 0.5 to 10 at. %; or
wherein the fully amorphous alloy comprises Ni100−(a+b+c++d)(CraXbYcZd), wherein: a is in a range of 10 to 50 at. %; b is in a range of 10 to 30 at. %; c is in a range of 2 to 10 at. %; and d is in a range of 0.5 to 10 at. %
wherein X, Y and Z are elements, wherein the Z is selected from the group consisting of boron, carbon and combinations thereof, wherein the X and the Y are selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, copper, cobalt, aluminum, titanium, tungsten, niobium, silicon, vanadium, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the feedstock comprises Fe100−(a+b+c+d)(CraXbYcZd), wherein: a is in a range of 10 to 50 at. %; b is in a range of 10 to 30 at. %; c is in a range of 2 to 10 at. %; and d is in a range of 0.5 to 10 at. %,
or Ni100−(a+b+c+d)(CraXbYcZd), wherein: a is in a range of 10 to 50 at. %; b is in a range of 10 to 30 at. %; c is in a range of 2 to 10 at. %; and d is in a range of 0.5 to 10 at. %.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising thermal spraying the feedstock on the preexisting layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the thermal spraying comprises high velocity oxygen fuel spraying, plasma spraying or arc spraying.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cooling rate is 100° C./s or slower and wherein the fully amorphous alloy is substantially free of phosphorus (P) and substantially free of boron (B).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the method results in a partially crystalline layer beneath the outermost layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein an object formed by the method comprises a drill string, driving the drill string into a ground, and drilling a well in the ground; wherein the drill string comprises a drilling bit and a drill pipe connected thereto, wherein at least a portion of the drill pipe comprises a coating thereon.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fully amorphous alloy is substantially free of phosphorus (P) and substantially free of boron (B).

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the fully amorphous alloy contains less than 10 at. % of P and less than 10 at. % of B.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the fully amorphous alloy contains less than 1 at. % of P.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the fully amorphous alloy contains no P.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the fully amorphous alloy comprises Fe, Cr, X, Y and Z, wherein: X, Y and Z are elements, and the Y is selected from the group consisting of boron, carbon and combinations thereof.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the fully amorphous alloy comprises Ni, Cr, X, Y and Z, wherein: X, Y and Z are elements, and the Z is selected from the group consisting of boron, carbon and combinations thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the feedstock is fully amorphous.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the feedstock is partially amorphous.

### Claim 16

A method comprising:
solidifying a molten layer of a feedstock on a preexisting layer by controlling a heating source and a cooling rate so as to form an outermost layer comprising a partially amorphous alloy, and
phase-transforming the partially amorphous alloy into a fully amorphous alloy such that the outermost layer has a coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.15 or less;
wherein the fully amorphous alloy comprises Fe100−(a+b+c+d)(CraXbYcZd), wherein: a is in a range of 10 to 50 at. %; b is in a range of 10 to 30 at. %; c is in a range of 2 to 10 at. %; and d is in a range of 0.5 to 10 at. %; or
wherein the fully amorphous alloy comprises Ni100−(a+b+c+d)(CraXbYcZd), wherein: a is in a range of 10 to 50 at. %; b is in a range of 10 to 30 at. %; c is in a range of 2 to 10 at. %; and d is in a range of 0.5 to 10 at. %;
wherein X, Y and Z are elements, wherein the Z is selected from the group consisting of boron, carbon and combinations thereof, wherein the X and the Y are selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, copper, cobalt, aluminum, titanium, tungsten, niobium, silicon, vanadium, and combinations thereof.