Control of elastomer swelling rate via surface functionalization
AssigneeBaker Hughes, A Ge Company, LLC
InventorsRostyslav Dolog, Darryl Ventura, Valery Khabashesku, Qusai Darugar
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Abstract
A sealing system for a flow channel comprises a mandrel and a swellable article disposed about the mandrel, the swellable article comprising a swellable body containing an elastomer of ethylene propylene diene monomer, styrene butadiene rubber, polychloroprene rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, fluoroelastomers, perfluoroelastomers, isobutylene-isoprene rubber, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; wherein a surface of the swellable body is functionalized with a functional group that is effective to cause the surface of the swellable body to become more oleophobic than a reference surface without the functional group.
Claims22
A sealing system for a flow channel comprising:
- a mandrel and
- a swellable article disposed about the mandrel,
- the swellable article comprising a swellable body containing an elastomer of ethylene propylene diene monomer, styrene butadiene rubber, polychloroprene rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, fluoroelastomers, perfluoroelastomers, isobutylene-isoprene rubber, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;
- wherein a surface of the swellable body is functionalized with a functional group that is effective to cause the surface of the swellable body to become more oleophobic than a reference surface without the functional group.
A method of sealing, the method comprising:
- disposing in a wellbore a sealing system comprising
- a mandrel and
- a swellable article disposed about the mandrel;
- the swellable article comprising a swellable body containing an elastomer of ethylene propylene diene monomer, styrene butadiene rubber, polychloroprene rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, fluoroelastomers, perfluoroelastomers, isobutylene isoprene rubber, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;
- a surface of the swellable body being functionalized with a functional group that is effective to cause the surface of the swellable body more oleophobic than a reference surface without the functional group;
- and
- allowing the swellable article to swell upon contact with a downhole fluid.
A method of making a swellable article comprising
- forming a swellable body;
- and
- disposing a functionalized elastomer on the swellable body;
- the functionalized elastomer comprising a functional group that is effective to cause the surface of the swellable body to become more oleophobic than a reference surface without the functional group.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.