Protective Coatings for Petrochemical and Chemical Industry Equipment and Devices

• US 20110162751A1
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Ayer, Raghavan, Fitzgerald, Brian Joseph, Wang, Yu Feng, Jin, Hyun-Woo
• Application Number:
  US12/958,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20110162751A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 138/145
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/32 including at least one pure metallic layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/321 with at least one metal alloy layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/343 with at least one DLC or an amorphous carbon based layer, the layer being doped or not
• CPC Class Codes: 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

Abstract

Provided are coated petrochemical and chemical industry devices and methods of making and using such coated devices. In one form, the coated petrochemical and chemical industry device includes a petrochemical and chemical industry device including one or more bodies, and a coating on at least a portion of the one or more bodies, wherein the coating is chosen from an amorphous alloy, a heat-treated electroless or electro plated based nickel-phosphorous composite with a phosphorous content greater than 12 wt %, graphite, MoS₂, WS₂, a fullerene based composite, a boride based cermet, a quasicrystalline material, a diamond based material, diamond-like-carbon (DLC), boron nitride, and combinations thereof. The coated petrochemical and chemical industry devices may provide for reduced friction, wear, corrosion and other properties required for superior performance.

Claims

27-1. The coated device of claim 1, wherein the dynamic friction coefficient of the coating is not lower than 50% of the static friction coefficient of the coating.

29. The coated device of claim 29, wherein the buttering layer comprises a stainless steel, an alloy steel, a cobalt based alloy, a titanium based alloy, an aluminum based alloy, a nickel based alloy, a metal matrix composite, or combinations thereof.

30. A coated petrochemical and chemical industry device comprising:

a petrochemical and chemical industry device chosen from extruder barrels, gears, extruder dies, bearings, compressors, pumps, pipes, tubing, molding dies, valves, and reactor vessels and combinations thereof, and

a coating on at least a portion of the device,

wherein the coating is chosen from an amorphous alloy, a heat-treated electroless or electro plated nickel-phosphorous based composite with a phosphorous content greater than 12 wt %, graphite, MoS₂, WS₂, a fullerene based composite, a boride based cermet, a quasicrystalline material, a diamond based material, diamond-like-carbon (DLC), boron nitride, and combinations thereof.

31. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the device includes two or more bodies in relative motion to each other.

32. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the device includes two or more bodies that are static relative to each other.

33. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the device includes spheres and complex geometries.

35. The coated device of claim 32 or 33, wherein the two or more bodies include one or more bodies substantially within one or more other bodies.

36. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the device is solid, hollow or a combination thereof.

37. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the device includes at least one body that is substantially circular, substantially elliptical, or substantially polygonal in outer cross-section, inner cross-section or inner and outer cross-section.

38. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the coefficient of friction of the coating is less than or equal to 0.15.

40. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the coating provides a hardness of greater than 400 VHN.

42. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the coating provides at least 3 times greater wear resistance than an uncoated device.

43. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the water contact angle of the coating is greater than 60 degrees.

44. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the coating provides a surface energy less than 1 J/m².

46. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the coating comprises a single coating layer or two or more coating layers.

52. The coated device of claim 31, wherein the dynamic friction coefficient of the coating is not lower than 50% of the static friction coefficient of the coating.

53. The coated device of claim 31 wherein the device further includes a buttering layer interposed between the surface of the device and the coating on at least a portion of the device.

34. The coated device of claim 34, wherein the complex geometries have at least a portion that are non-tubular in shape.

39. The coated device of claim 39, wherein the coefficient of friction of the coating is less than or equal to 0.10.

41. The coated device of claim 41, wherein the coating provides a hardness of greater than 1500 VHN.

45. The coated device of claim 45, wherein the coating provides a surface energy less than 0.1 J/m².

47. The coated device of claim 47, wherein the two or more coating layers are of substantially the same or different coatings.

49. The coated device of claim 47, wherein the coating further comprises one or more buffer layers.

48. The coated device of claim 48, wherein the thickness of the single coating layer and of each layer of the two or more coating layers range from 0.5 microns to 5000 microns.

50. The coated device of claim 50, wherein the one or more buffer layers are interposed between the surface of the one or more bodies and the single coating layer or the two or more coating layers.

51. The coated device of claim 51, wherein the one or more buffer layers are chosen from elements, alloys, carbides, nitrides, carbo-nitrides, and oxides of the following:

silicon, titanium, chromium, tungsten, tantalum, niobium, vanadium, zirconium, or hafnium.

54. The coated device of claim 54, wherein the buttering layer comprises a stainless steel, an alloy steel, a cobalt based alloy, a titanium based alloy, an aluminum based alloy, a nickel based alloy, a metal matrix composite, or combinations thereof.

55. A method for coating a petrochemical and chemical industry device comprising:

providing a petrochemical and chemical industry device including one or more tubular bodies, and

a coating on at least a portion of the one or more tubular bodies,

wherein the coating is chosen from an amorphous alloy, a heat-treated electroless or electro plated based nickel-phosphorous composite with a phosphorous content greater than 12 wt %, graphite, MoS₂, WS₂, a fullerene based composite, a boride based cermet, a quasicrystalline material, a diamond based material, diamond-like-carbon (DLC), boron nitride, and combinations thereof, and

utilizing the coated petrochemical and chemical industry device in chemical operations.

56. The method of claim 56, wherein the one or more tubular bodies include two or more tubular bodies in relative motion to each other.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the one or more tubular bodies include two or more tubular bodies that are static relative to each other.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein the two or more tubular bodies include two or more radii.

62. The method of claim 56, wherein the one or more tubular bodies are helical in inner surface, helical in outer surface or a combination thereof.

63. The method of claim 56, wherein the one or more tubular bodies are solid, hollow or a combination thereof.

64. The method of claim 56, wherein the one or more tubular bodies include at least one tubular body that is substantially circular, substantially elliptical, or substantially polygonal in outer cross-section, inner cross-section or inner and outer cross-section.

65. The method of claim 56, wherein the coefficient of friction of the coating is less than or equal to 0.15.

66. The method of claim 67, wherein the coefficient of friction of the coating is less than or equal to 0.10.

67. The method of claim 56, wherein the coating provides a hardness of greater than 400 VHN.

69. The method of claim 56, wherein the coating provides at least 3 times greater wear resistance than an uncoated device.

70. The method of claim 56, wherein the water contact angle of the coating is greater than 60 degrees.

71. The method of claim 56, wherein the coating provides a surface energy less than 1 J/m².

73. The method of claim 56, wherein the coating comprises a single coating layer or two or more coating layers.

79. The method of claim 56, wherein the dynamic friction coefficient of the coating is not lower than 50% of the static friction coefficient of the coating.

80. The method of claim 56 wherein the one or more tubular bodies further includes a buttering layer interposed between the surface of the one or more tubular bodies and the coating on at least a portion of the tubular bodies.

59. The method of claim 59, wherein the two or more tubular bodies include one or more tubular bodies substantially within one or more other tubular bodies.

60. The method of claim 60, wherein the two or more radii are of substantially the same dimensions or substantially different dimensions.

61. The method of claim 61, wherein the bodies have substantially parallel axes.

68. The method of claim 68, wherein the coating provides a hardness of greater than 1500 VHN.

72. The method of claim 72, wherein the coating provides a surface energy less than 0.1 J/m².

74. The method of claim 74, wherein the two or more coating layers are of substantially the same or different coatings.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein the thickness of the single coating layer and of each layer of the two or more coating layers range from 0.5 microns to 5000 microns.

76. The method of claim 74, wherein the coating further comprises one or more buffer layers.

77. The method of claim 77, wherein the one or more buffer layers are interposed between the surface of the one or more tubular bodies and the single coating layer or the two or more coating layers.

78. The method of claim 77, wherein the one or more buffer layers are chosen from elements, alloys, carbides, nitrides, carbo-nitrides, and oxides of the following:

silicon, titanium, chromium, tungsten, tantalum, niobium, vanadium, zirconium, or hafnium.

81. The method of claim 81, wherein the buttering layer comprises a stainless steel an alloy steel, a cobalt based alloy, a titanium based alloy, an aluminum based alloy, a nickel based alloy, a metal matrix composite, or combinations thereof.