IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,378,334
Granted Patent B2
US 12,378,334 · App. 18/538,293 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Methods of reducing friction on a surface of an apparatus that stores or transports a gas

Inventors: Eric L. Hanson (Carlsbad, CA); Eric L. Bruner (La Jolla, CA); Majid Monji (San Diego, CA); Elizabeth Cambre (Texas City, TX); Edward Hughes (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: ACULON INC.
C08F120/56C08G65/007C08G65/226C08J7/042C09D5/1662C09D5/1693C09D171/00C09D171/02C09K8/882C10M105/74C23F11/173E21B43/08F17C13/004B01F25/31243C09K2208/34C10M2223/0603C10N2040/00F17C2201/0109F17C2221/01F17C2270/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,378,334
App. No.
18/538,293
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides methods of reducing friction on a surface of an apparatus that stores or transports a gas, comprising: (a) contacting the surface either directly or through an intermediate organometallic layer with a fluorinated material in a diluent, wherein the fluorinated material has the following structure: wherein A is an oxygen radical or a chemical bond; n is 1 to 20; Y is H, F, C n H 2n+1 or C n F 2n+1 ; X is H or F; b is at least 1, m is 0 to 50, p is 1 to 20, and Z is an acid group or an acid derivative; (b) forming a hydrophobic surface layer on the surface; and (c) introducing the gas into the apparatus.

Claims (28)

1. A method of reducing friction on a metal surface of an apparatus that stores or transports a gas, the method comprising:

(a) contacting the surface either directly or through an intermediate organometallic layer with a fluorinated material in a diluent, wherein the fluorinated material has the following structure:

wherein A is an oxygen radical or a chemical bond; n is 1 to 20; Y is H, F, C n H 2n+1 or C n F 2n+1 ; X is H or F; b is at least 1, m is 0 to 50, p is 1 to 20, and Z is an acid group or an acid derivative; (b) forming a hydrophobic surface layer on the metal surface; and (c) introducing the gas into the apparatus, wherein Z is

where R and R′ are each independently H, a metal or an amine or an aliphatic or substituted aliphatic radical having 1 to 50 carbons or an aryl or substituted aryl radical having 6 to 50 carbons.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a component of a closed loop CO 2 geothermal well, a storage well, a pipe, or an injector well.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the surface comprises stainless steel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluorinated material is dissolved or dispersed in a diluent to form a solution or dispersion, and the solution or dispersion is coalesced on the surface to form the hydrophobic surface layer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein n is 1 to 6; b is 5 to 12, m is 1 to 6, and p is 2 to 4.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluorinated material in the hydrophobic surface layer is adhered to an intermediate organometallic layer.

7. A method of reducing friction on a metal surface of an apparatus that stores or transports a gas, the method comprising:

(a) contacting the surface either directly or through an intermediate organometallic layer with a fluorinated material in a diluent, wherein the fluorinated material has the following structure:

wherein A is an oxygen radical or a chemical bond; n is 1 to 20; Y is H, F, C n H 2n+1 or C n F 2n+1 ; X is H or F; b is at least 1, m is 0 to 50, p is 1 to 20, and Z is an acid group or an acid derivative;

(b) forming a hydrophobic surface layer on the metal surface; and

(c) introducing the gas into the apparatus, wherein the fluorinated material in the hydrophobic surface layer is adhered to an intermediate organometallic layer and wherein the intermediate organometallic layer is a polymeric metal oxide with alkoxide and hydroxyl groups.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the diluent comprises at least one of a glycol, a glycol ether, 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4-nonafluoro-4-methoxybutane, 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4-nonafluoro-4-ethoxybutane, 3-ethoxyperfluoro (2-methylhexane), 1H,1H,5H-Octafluoropentyl-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl ether, and 1,1,1,2,3,4,4,5,5,5-Decafluoropentane.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas comprises CO 2 or hydrogen.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas comprises CO 2 .

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the diluent comprises at least one of a glycol, a glycol ether, 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4-nonafluoro-4-methoxybutane, 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4-nonafluoro-4-ethoxybutane, 3-ethoxyperfluoro (2-methylhexane), 1H,1H,5H-Octafluoropentyl-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl ether, and 1,1,1,2,3,4,4,5,5,5-Decafluoropentane.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas comprises hydrogen.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the diluent comprises at least one of a glycol, a glycol ether, 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4-nonafluoro-4-methoxybutane, 1,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4-nonafluoro-4-ethoxybutane, 3-ethoxyperfluoro (2-methylhexane), 1H,1H,5H-Octafluoropentyl-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl ether, and 1,1,1,2,3,4,4,5,5,5-Decafluoropentane.

14. A method of reducing friction on a metal surface of an apparatus that stores or transports a gas, the method comprising:

(a) contacting the surface either directly or through an intermediate organometallic layer with a fluorinated material in a diluent, wherein the fluorinated material has the following structure:

wherein A is an oxygen radical or a chemical bond; n is 1 to 20; Y is H, F, C n H 2n+1 or C n F 2n+1 ; X is H or F; b is at least 1, m is 0 to 50, p is 1 to 20, and Z is an acid group or an acid derivative;

(b) forming a hydrophobic surface layer on the metal surface; and

(c) introducing the gas into the apparatus, wherein in the apparatus comprises a component of a closed loop CO 2 geothermal well, a storage well, a pipe, or an injector well, and wherein the fluorinated material is dissolved or dispersed in a diluent to form a solution or dispersion, and the solution or dispersion is coalesced on the surface to form the hydrophobic surface layer, and wherein Z is

where R and R′ are each independently H, a metal or an amine or an aliphatic or substituted aliphatic radical having 1 to 50 carbons or an aryl or substituted aryl radical having 6 to 50 carbons.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein n is 1 to 6; b is 5 to 12, m is 1 to 6, and p is 2 to 4.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the fluorinated material in the hydrophobic surface layer is adhered to an intermediate organometallic layer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 26, 2024
From: HANSON, ERIC L; BRUNER, ERIC L.; MONJI, MAJID; CAMBRE, ELIZABETH; HUGHES, EDWARD
To: ACULON INC.
Reel/Frame 066564/0266 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63432215 · Dec 13, 2022
Related Publication 20240199968A1 · Jun 20, 2024
References Cited (3)
US 20150192229A1 · Goto · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150210951A1 · Aizenberg · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20190040195A1 · Takao · 2019 [cited by examiner]