Polymer blends for use in wellbore applications

Abstract

The present disclosure provides elastomer blends comprising mixtures of partially fluorinated elastomers, such as tetrafluoroethylene propylene elastomers (FEPM or TFEP) and fluorocarbon rubbers, such as vinylidene fluoride-based elastomers (FKM or FEP). The elastomer blends can be prepared using two-roll mills, internal mixers, or other mixing technique and can be molded into seals, gaskets, o-rings or other articles using extrusion, injection molding, compression molding or the like. The resultant elastomeric articles can provide good sealing performance, including at moderate or low temperatures, and exhibit good chemical compatibility and resistance when exposed to common wellbore environments. In some cases, the elastomer blends can provide performance characteristics previously only available from perfluorinated elastomers (FFKM), but without requiring the complex processing conditions associated with preparing perfluorinated elastomers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.