INORGANIC FULLERENE-LIKE PARTICLES AND INORGANIC TUBULAR-LIKE PARTICLES IN FLUIDS AND LUBRICANTS AND APPLICATIONS TO SUBTERRANEAN DRILLING

• US 20140231145A1
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nanotech Industrial Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nanotech Industrial Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Kverel, Eugene, Diloyan, George
• Granted Patent: US 10,501,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/65
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/34 Lubricant additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/032 Inorganic additives
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 125/10 Metal oxides, hydroxides, carbonates or bicarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 125/22 Compounds containing sulfur, selenium or tellurium
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/065 Sulfides; Selenides; Tellurides
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2215/08 Amides
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2010/12 Groups 6 or 16
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2020/06 Particles of special shape or size
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2030/06 Oiliness; Film-strength; Anti-wear; Resistance to extreme pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/25 Internal-combustion engines

Abstract

A drilling fluid including a drilling fluid medium selected from the group consisting of water, air and water, air and foaming agent, a water based mud, an oil based mud, a synthetic based fluid, and a composition thereof. The drilling fluid also includes at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX₂, where M is a metallic element such as tungsten (W), and X is a chalcogen element such as sulfur (S), wherein the intercalation compound has a fullerene-like hollow structure or tubular-like structure.

Claims

1. A lubricant comprising:

a fluid medium;

at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX₂, where M is a metallic element selected from the group consisting of titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), technetium (Tc), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), osmium (Os), iridium (Ir), platinum (Pt), gold (Au), mercury (Hg) and combinations thereof, and X is a chalcogen element selected from the group consisting of sulfur (S), selenium (Se), tellurium (Te), oxygen (O) and combinations thereof, wherein the intercalation compound has a fullerene-like structure or tubular-like structure and the intercalation compound is present in the lubricant in an amount of greater than 0.1 wt % by weight; and

a functionalizing agent.

2. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the intercalation compound is kept in suspension within the fluid medium for up to 5 years.

3. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide is tungsten disulfide (WS₂), molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) or a combination thereof.

4. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the fluid medium comprises Group I, II, III, IV, and V lubricants, synthetic oils, mineral oils, water based and oil based drilling fluids and bio-lubricants or combinations thereof.

5. The lubricant of claim 4, wherein the synthetic oils comprise polyalpha-olefins, olefins, isomerized olefins, synthetic esters, phosphate esters, silicate esters, polyalkylene glycols and combinations thereof.

6. The lubricant of claim 4, wherein the biolubricants comprise lanolin, whale oil, canola castor oil, palm oil, sunflower seed oil, rapeseed oil, tall oil and combinations thereof.

7. The lubricant of claim 1, herein the functionalizing agent comprises silanes, thiols, ionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, amine based dispersant and surfactants, polymers, monomers and combinations thereof.

8. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide is a particle having a fullerene-like geometry and a diameter ranging from 5 nm to 5 flm.

9. The lubricant of claim 1, wherein the intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide is a particle having a tube-like geometry and a diameter ranging 1 nm to 150 nm and a length ranging from 10 nm to 15 cm.

10. A drilling fluid comprising:

a drilling fluid medium selected from the group consisting of water, air and water, air and foaming agent, a water based mud, an oil based mud, a synthetic based fluid, and a combination thereof; and

at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX₂, where M is a metallic element selected from the group consisting of titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), technetium (Tc), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), osmium (Os), iridium (Ir), platinum (Pt), gold (Au), mercury (Hg) and a combination thereof, and X is a chalcogen element selected from the group consisting of sulfur (S), selenium (Se), tellurium (Te), oxygen (O) and a combination thereof, wherein the intercalation compound has a fullerene-like structure or tubular-like structure, and the intercalation compound is present in the drilling fluid in an amount of greater than 0.1 wt % by weight.

11. The drilling fluid of claim 10 further comprising a functionalizing agent.

12. The drilling fluid of claim 10, wherein the intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide is tungsten disulfide (WS₂), molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) or a combination thereof.

13. The drilling fluid of claim 11, wherein the functionalizing agent comprises silanes, thiols, ionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, amine based dispersant and surfactants, polymers, monomers and combinations thereof.

14. The drilling fluid of claim 10, wherein the intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide is a particle having fullerene-like geometry and a diameter ranging from 5 nm to 5 flm.

15. The drilling fluid of claim 10, wherein the intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide is a particle having a tube-like geometry and a diameter ranging 1 nm to 150 nm and a length ranging from 10 nm to 15 cm.

16. A subterranean drilling method comprising:

providing a drilling member;

applying the drilling member to a terrane an surface to form a subterranean wellbore; and

lubricating at least one of the subterranean wellbore and the drilling member with a drilling fluid including at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX₂, where M is a metallic element selected from the group consisting of titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), technetium (Tc), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), osmium (Os), iridium (Ir), platinum (Pt), gold (Au) and mercury (Hg), and X is a chalcogen element selected from the group consisting of Sulfur (S), selenium (Se), tellurium (Te) and oxygen (O), wherein the intercalation compound has a fullerene-like structure or tubular-like structure.

17. The subterranean drilling method of claim 16, wherein the intercalation compound is present in the drilling fluid in an amount of greater than 0.1 wt % by weight.

18. The subterranean drilling method of claim 16, wherein the intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide is a particle having a fullerene-like geometry and a diameter ranging from 5 nm to 5 flm.

19. The subterranean drilling method of claim 16, wherein the intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide is a particle having a tube-like geometry and a diameter ranging 1 nm to 150 nm and a length ranging from 10 nm to 15 cm.

20. The subterranean drilling method of claim 16, wherein the intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide is tungsten disulfide (WS₂), molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) or a combination thereof.