Carbon dioxide and polymer compositions for permeability control and sealing
AssigneeUniversity of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
InventorRobert M. Enick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of treating a material to achieve at least one of reducing surface wettability of the material or reducing fluid transport through the material includes exposing the material to a composition including a solution of a polymer portion and carbon dioxide for a period of time. The polymer portion includes at least one of a polyfluoroacrylate or a copolymer of a fluoroacrylate and a comonomer. A pressure of the composition is maintained above the cloud point of the polymer portion at a concentration thereof in the carbon dioxide for the period of time.
Claims24
A method of treating a material to achieve at least one of reducing surface wettability of the material or reducing fluid transport through the material, comprising:
- exposing the material to a composition comprising a solution of a polymer portion and carbon dioxide for a period of time, the polymer portion comprising at least one of a polyfluoroacrylate or a copolymer of a fluoroacrylate and a comonomer, wherein a pressure of the composition is maintained above the cloud point of the polymer portion at a concentration thereof in the carbon dioxide for the period of time.
A system for treating a material to achieve at least one of reducing surface wettability of the material or reducing fluid transport through the material, comprising:
- a container including a solution of polymer portion and carbon dioxide, the polymer portion comprising at least one of a polyfluoroacrylate polymer or a copolymer of a fluoroacrylate and a comonomer, the container comprising an outlet from which the composition is injected, the system further comprising and a pressurizing mechanism to inject the solution from the outlet of the container at a pressure above the cloud point of the polymer portion.
A method of treating a material to achieve at least one of reducing surface wettability of the material or reducing fluid transport through the material, comprising:
- exposing the material to a composition comprising a solution of a polymer portion which is oleophobic, hydrophobic or multiphobic and carbon dioxide for a period of time, wherein a pressure of the composition is maintained above the cloud point of polymer portion at a concentration thereof in the carbon dioxide for the period of time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.