Inorganic fullerene-like particles and inorganic tubular-like particles in fluids and lubricants and applications to subterranean drilling

1. A lubricant comprising:

a fluid medium;

at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX 2 , where M is a metallic element selected from the group consisting of molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W) and combinations thereof, and X is a chalcogen element of sulfur (S), wherein the intercalation compound has a fullerene-like structure having a caged geometry that is solid at its core and layered at its periphery and the intercalation compound is present in the lubricant in an amount of greater than 0.1 wt % by weight, the periphery of the intercalation compound being an exfoliating layer that provides an intercalation material on friction surfaces that that at least one intercalation compound contacts; and

a functionalizing agent that interacts with the at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX 2 to form a succinimide group surface functionalization on the at least one intercalation compound to provide a dispersion of the intercalation compound having the fullerene-like structure with the caged geometry that does not settle for a period of time ranging from 3 years to 5 years at room temperature.

2. 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.

3. The lubricant of claim 2 , wherein the synthetic oils comprise polyalpha-olefins, olefins, isomerized olefins, synthetic esters, phosphate esters, silicate esters, polyalkylene glycols or combinations thereof.

4. The lubricant of claim 2 , wherein the bio-lubricants comprise lanolin, whale oil, canola oil, castor oil, palm oil, sunflower seed oil, rapeseed oil, tall oil or combinations thereof.

5. 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 μm.

6. 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;

at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX 2 , 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 ( 1 r ), 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 having a caged geometry that is solid at its core and layered at its periphery, the periphery of the intercalation compound being an exfoliating layer that provides an intercalation material on friction surfaces that that at least one intercalation compound contacts, and the intercalation compound is present in the drilling fluid in an amount of greater than 0.1 wt % by weight; and

a functionalizing agent that interacts with the at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having molecular formula MX 2 to form a succinimide group surface functionalization on the at least one intercalation compound to provide a dispersion of the intercalation compound having the fullerene-like structure with the caged geometry that does not settle for a period of time ranging from 3 years to 5 years at room temperature.

7. The drilling fluid of claim 6 , wherein the functionalizing agent is present in an amount ranging from 0.1 wt. % to 50 wt. %.

8. The drilling fluid of claim 6 , 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 μm.

9. The lubricant of claim 1 , wherein the functionalizing agent is present in an amount ranging from 0.1 wt. % to 50 wt. %.

10. A lubricant comprising:

a fluid medium of synthetic oils having a composition selected from the group consisting of polyalpha-olefins, olefins, isomerized olefins, synthetic esters, phosphate esters, silicate esters, polyalkylene glycols and combinations thereof;

at least one intercalation compound of a metal chalcogenide having a composition selected from the group consisting of tungsten disulfide (WS 2 ), molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) and a combination thereof, wherein the intercalation compound has a fullerene-like structure having a caged geometry that is solid at its core and layered at its periphery and the intercalation compound is present in the lubricant in an amount of greater than 0.1 wt % by weight, the periphery of the intercalation compound being an exfoliating layer that provides an intercalation material on friction surfaces that that at least one intercalation compound contacts; and

a functionalizing agent that interacts with the at least one intercalation compound of the metal chalcogenide selected from the group consisting of tungsten disulfide (WS 2 ), molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) and a combination thereof to form a succinimide group surface functionalization on the at least one intercalation compound to stabilize a dispersion of the at least one intercalation compound in the fluid medium by resisting agglomeration of the intercalation compound having the fullerene-like structure with the caged geometry.