Nanocomposite materials development for progressive cavity pumps (PCPs) used in crude oil extraction

通过NSERC CRD项目，阿尔伯塔大学的研究团队与威德福德加拿大合作伙伴关系的研究人员将开发新型多功能弹性体纳米复合材料。这些新型纳米复合材料将由高温弹性体、商用纳米填料和定制功能化纳米粘土混合而成，可生产出坚固、高性能、耐磨、高温的材料，可应用于特种油田开采技术，如蒸汽辅助作业，或高磨损应用，如高含砂油层。除了耐高温和耐磨性外，这些材料还将改善滞后性、气体渗透性、可燃性、导热性、流变性和防爆减压性。这些改进的性能将延长泵的使用寿命，在这些应用中使用螺杆泵（pcp）将提供更高的能源效率和更高的采收率。

Through this NSERC CRD project, the research team at the University of Alberta working with researchers at Weatherford Canada Partnership will develop novel multifunctional elastomer nanocomposites. These novel nanocomposites will comprise high temperature elastomers mixed with commercially available nanofillers and custom functionalized nanoclays, yielding strong, high-performance, wear-resistant, high-temperature, materials that have application in specialty oilfield extraction technology like steam assisted operations, or in high-wear applications such as high sand content oil formations. In addition to high temperature and wear resistance, these materials will target improvements in hysteresis, gas permeation, flammability resistance, thermal conductivity, rheology and explosive-decompression resistance. These improved properties will lead to increased pump life and use of progessive cavity pumps (PCPs) in these applications will provide for more energy-efficient and higher percentage oil recovery.