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US 11,649,526 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.
Claims30
A degradable composite including:
- a. plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles having a hardness greater than 50 HRC;
- b. galvanically-active elements that include one or more elements selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, copper, cobalt, titanium silver, gold, gallium, bismuth, palladium, carbon, or indium;
- and
- c. degradable metal matrix that includes magnesium, aluminum, magnesium alloy or aluminum alloy, said degradable alloy matrix constituting greater than 50 wt. % magnesium or greater than 50 wt. % aluminum;
- wherein said degradable composite material includes a plurality of degradation catalyst particles, zones, or regions that are galvanically-active;
- and
- wherein said ceramic or intermetallic particles were precoated with said galvanically-active elements prior to being combined with said degradable metal matrix;
- and
- wherein a content of said plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles in said degradable composite is 20 vol. % to 90 vol. % of said degradable composite;
- and
- wherein said degradable composite has a hardness of greater than 22 Rockwell C;
- and
- wherein said degradable composite has a degradation rate of 0.02-5 mm/hr. at 35-200° C. in 100-100,000 ppm freshwater or brine.
10 more elements
A degradable composite including:
- a. a plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles having a hardness greater than 50 HRC, said ceramic or intermetallic particles having a particle size of 0.1-1000 microns;
- b. galvanically-active elements that include one or more 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;
- and
- c. a degradable metal matrix that includes i) a magnesium alloy that includes greater than 50 wt. % magnesium, or ii) an aluminum alloy that includes greater than 50 wt. % aluminum;
- wherein said plurality of ceramic or intermetallic particles and said galvanically-active elements are dispersed in said degradable metal matrix;
- wherein said degradable composite includes a plurality of degradation catalyst particles, zones, or regions that are galvanically-active;
- and
- wherein said ceramic or intermetallic particles were precoated with said galvanically-active elements prior to being combined with said degradable metal matrix;
- and
- wherein 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;
- and
- wherein said degradable composite having a hardness of greater than 22 Rockwell C;
- and
- wherein said degradable composite has a degradation rate of at least 5 mg/cm2/hr. at 35° C. in 100-100,000 ppm freshwater or brine.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.