Wellbore isolation device made from a powdered fusible alloy matrix
A method of producing at least a portion of a wellbore isolation device comprising: providing a fusible alloy matrix in a powdered form; placing at least the particles of the fusible alloy matrix powder into a mold; compacting the particles located inside the mold via an application of pressure; and fusing the particles together to form a solid material, wherein the solid material forms the at least a portion of the wellbore isolation device.
1. A method of producing and using at least a portion of a wellbore isolation device comprising:
providing a fusible alloy matrix in a powdered form;
placing at least the particles of the fusible alloy matrix powder into a mold;
compacting the particles located inside the mold via an application of pressure;
fusing the particles together to form a solid material, wherein the solid material forms the at least a portion of the wellbore isolation device; and
introducing the at least a portion of the wellbore isolation device into a wellbore; wherein the fusible alloy matrix undergoes a phase transformation at or near the bottomhole temperature of the wellbore after a desired amount of time.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the isolation device is a ball, a plug, a bridge plug, a wiper plug, or a packer.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal of the fusible metal alloy is selected from the group consisting of lead, tin, bismuth, indium, cadmium, silver, gallium, zinc, antimony, copper, and combinations thereof.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of placing further comprises placing other particles into the mold along with the particles of the fusible alloy matrix powder.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the other particles are density-reducing particles, strength-enhancing particles, or a combination thereof.
6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the other particles are selected from the group consisting of sand, plastic granules, ceramic beads, fibers, rods, acicular elements, sheets, whiskers, woven materials, glass microspheres, hollow glass microspheres, quartz, metallic compounds, metals, polymers and combinations thereof.
7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the other particles have a phase transformation temperature that is greater than the phase transformation temperature of the fusible alloy matrix.
8. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising blending the particles together, wherein the step of blending is performed prior to the step of placing.
9. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising coating a plurality of the other particles with the fusible alloy matrix.
10. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the other particles are not uniformly distributed throughout the fusible alloy matrix.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of fusing is performed after the step of compacting.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the compaction is from cold isostatic pressing.
13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of fusing is performed simultaneously with the step of compacting.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the compaction is from hot isostatic pressing.
15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising removing the compacted particles from the mold prior to the step of fusing.
16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fusible alloy is at its sintering temperature during the step of fusing.
17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fusible alloy is at its melting temperature during the step of fusing.
18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of fusing further comprises applying heat to the particles.
19. A method of producing and using at least a portion of a wellbore isolation device comprising:
producing a fusible alloy matrix in a powdered form;
blending the particles of the fusible alloy matrix and at least one other type of particle together;
placing the particles into a mold;
compacting the particles located inside the mold via an application of pressure;
fusing the particles together to form a solid material, wherein the solid material forms the at least a portion of the wellbore isolation device; and
introducing the at least a portion of the wellbore isolation device into a wellbore;
wherein the fusible alloy matrix undergoes a phase transformation at or near the bottomhole temperature of the wellbore after a desired amount of time.
20. A wellbore isolation device comprising:
a fusible alloy matrix, wherein the isolation device is formed by:
placing at least the particles of a fusible alloy matrix powder and other particles into a mold;
compacting the particles located inside the mold via an application of pressure; and
fusing the particles together to form a solid material;
wherein the wellbore isolation device does not have stratification when placed in the wellbore.
21. The device according to claim 20 , further comprising placing other particles into the mold along with the particles of the fusible alloy matrix powder.
22. The device according to claim 21 , wherein the other particles are density-reducing particles, strength-enhancing particles, or a combination thereof.
23. The device according to claim 21 , wherein the other particles are selected from the group consisting of sand, plastic granules, ceramic beads, fibers, rods, acicular elements, sheets, whiskers, woven materials, glass microspheres, hollow glass microspheres, quartz, metallic compounds, metals, polymers, and combinations thereof.
24. The device according to claim 21 , further comprising coating a plurality of the other particles with the fusible alloy matrix.
25. The device according to claim 20 , wherein the porosity of the solid material is less than 10%.