Wellbore barrier, method of manufacture thereof and articles comprising the same
A synergistic barrier formation, including a matrix material with expandable metal particles dispersed homogeneously therein. A method of forming a synergistic barrier formation, including forming a wellbore barrier on a conduit disposed in a wellbore; the wellbore barrier including expandable metal particles, and exposing the wellbore barrier to water, acid, saline or heat. A method of forming a pack, including forming an expandable metal sleeve on the conduit, wherein the expandable metal sleeve comprises expandable metal particles, forming a swellable rubber sleeve on the conduit at a location distal to the expandable metal sleeve, exposing the expandable metal particles to water, acid, saline or heat causing the expandable metal sleeve to corrode to form corroded metal particles, detaching the corroded metal particles from the expandable metal sleeve, and consolidating the corroded metal particles on the swellable rubber sleeve.
1 . A method of forming a pack, comprising:
forming an expandable metal sleeve on a conduit, wherein the expandable metal sleeve comprises expandable metal particles;
forming a swellable rubber sleeve on the conduit at a location distal to the expandable metal sleeve;
exposing the expandable metal particles to water, acid, saline or heat causing the expandable metal particles to corrode to form corroded metal particles;
detaching the corroded metal particles from the expandable metal sleeve; and
injecting a resin to consolidate the corroded metal particles on the swellable rubber sleeve.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the swellable rubber sleeve comprises an ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber, a butadiene rubber, a styrene-butadiene rubber, a natural rubber, an acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, a styrene-butadiene-acrylonitrile resin, a butadiene-nitrile rubber, a polyisoprene rubber, an acrylate-butadiene rubber, a polychloroprene rubber, an acrylate-isoprene rubber, an ethylene-vinyl acetate rubber, a polypropylene oxide rubber, a polypropylene sulfide rubber, a fluoroelastomer, a thermoplastic polyurethane rubber, or a combination thereof.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the consolidating of the corroded metal particles occurs by applying heat and pressure.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting saline into a casing in which the pack is located to accelerate a corrosion process of the expandable metal particles.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the corrosion process is a reaction between the expandable metal particles and water resulting in a metal hydroxide, and wherein the metal hydroxide comprises a larger volume than the expandable metal particles before the reaction.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the expandable metal particles comprise magnesium, aluminum, calcium, iron, silicon, zinc, tin, potassium, sodium, lithium, beryllium, barium, manganese, or a combination thereof.