Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Researchers from NSU and a team of scientists from Volgograd State Technical University (VolSTU), led by Doctor of Technical Sciences and Professor Viktor Kablov, have developed a water-swelling elastomer composition for the manufacture of sealing elements for packer equipment as part of the Competence Center's program "Technologies for Modeling and Developing New Functional Materials with Predetermined Properties" (CNFM) at Novosibirsk State University, which is being implemented with financial support from the NTI Foundation.
Packer equipment is a downhole device (seal) that, when installed, seals the annular space between the casing (or openhole wall) and the wellbore assembly, separating intervals—wellbore sections by depth—that are considered separate wellbore operating zones. This prevents interlayer crossflows, isolates individual inflow and injection zones, and ensures wellbore operation according to a specified pattern, withstanding pressure fluctuations and exposure to aggressive environments.
"Ordinary rubber doesn't swell in water, but we were faced with the challenge of creating packer rubbers that could be effectively used as a seal in oil and gas wells under high pressure. The presence of salt in the drilling fluid complicated the creation of such a material. Our development involves introducing swelling polymers into the material, which expand very well when exposed to liquid, but don't readily integrate with rubber. We needed to find modifying additives to overcome this incompatibility," explained Viktor Kablov.
The water-swelling elastomer composition is based on nitrile butadiene rubber and includes sulfur as a vulcanizing agent, Altax as a mercaptan vulcanization accelerator, and zinc oxide and stearin as vulcanization activators. Carbon black is used as a filler, along with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as a water-swelling agent and a polymer modifying material that improves component compatibility.
"The key part of our development was selecting a durable base. The matrix was based on rubber, into which we introduced particles of water-swelling polymers capable of absorbing water or aqueous solutions. The particles expand in volume, increasing the volume and contact pressure of the sealing element, which is critical for sealing. To increase the speed and uniformity of penetration of the aqueous phase into the material, fibers are added to the composition, forming capillary channels for mass transfer," explained Viktor Kablov.
When selecting components and determining their proportions, the scientists used several neural networks. One of them, Deep Seek, generated an optimal prediction for the composition of the material with the specified properties and a number of useful recommendations for improving its properties. Next, they applied a program for modeling the behavior of composite materials, previously developed as part of the project "Computer-aided materials science of multicomponent nanostructured elastomeric materials with specified properties for extreme operating conditions."
"This program—a digital assistant for elastomer developers—is part of the Center of Excellence's program, 'Technologies for Modeling and Developing New Functional Materials with Predetermined Properties,' implemented at Novosibirsk State University and supported by the NTI Foundation. Together with the Center of Excellence, we have created a distributed research and technology center equipped not only with a wide range of testing equipment available at NSU, Volgograd State Technical University, and its branch, the Volga Polytechnic Institute, but also with technological equipment enabling the production of pilot batches of materials and products. To handle complex software, we have created a powerful computing cluster that enables the use of software products with artificial intelligence modules, including remote collaboration with our colleagues in other cities," explained Viktor Kablov.
The new polymer material has successfully passed laboratory testing in various operating environments simulating drilling fluids and on model seals. Our industrial partner, Intov-Elast LLC, one of the leading manufacturers of packer devices in Russia, has expressed interest in the development. Currently, rig testing of packer devices using the rubbers developed by the scientists is underway at the partner's and its customers' testing facilities.
Material prepared by: Elena Panfilo, NSU press service
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