Lab‐scale feasibility study on new elastomer comprising chloroprene and acrylonitrile for oil and gas applications

Abstract

The limited options of suitable elastomers with adequate cost‐performance balance drive the necessity to introduce new materials in the oil & gas (O&G) application space. The relevance of a recently developed copolymer of chloroprene and acrylonitrile (referred to as acrylonitrile–chloroprene rubber or NCR) to O&G applications is described in this technical contribution. The new elastomer demonstrates adequate physical properties and reasonably good high and low‐temperature capabilities. It offers good resistance to several aqueous and non‐aqueous fluids with low volume swelling and retains its physical properties to reasonable extents while exposed to hot test oils. Acrylonitrile–chloroprene rubber has been found to sustain “sour gas” exposure. Good abrasion resistance, high tear strength, and remarkably high flex‐fatigue resistance coupled with low heat build‐up reflect its durability under dynamic conditions. In addition, acrylonitrile–chloroprene rubber can very well withstand the rapid gas decompression test at 25°C. This unique combination of attributes may allow acrylonitrile–chloroprene rubber to be considered as a candidate material for high‐performance O&G applications.

Design and Synthesis of Novel Bio‐Based Polyester Elastomer with Tunable Oil Resistance

“…In order to further estimate the oil resistance performance and the potential application of BPEs, the oil resistance versus T g of NBR, [18] ACM, [43] FKM, [44] FSR, CR, [28,45] BPEs, and the elastomers based on itaconic acid [10,46] are summarized in Figure 4. Because most of elastomers will swell after being immersed in oil for a period of time, the reciprocal of changes in volume of elastomers are used to represent their oil resistance.…”

“…The introduction of epoxy groups, [1][2][3][4] amino groups, [5,6] ester groups, [7][8][9][10] and other polar groups [11,12] have great benefits in improving the resistance of rubber products in a non-polar oils. Nitrile rubber (NBR), [13][14][15][16][17][18] acrylate rubber (ACM), [19] fluororubber (FKM), [20][21][22][23][24] fluorinated silicone rubber (FSR), [22,25] and chloroprene rubber (CR) [26][27][28] can still maintain good properties after being soaked in non-polar oils after a period of time, and the increasing of polar groups in those rubber could effectively improve their oil resistance. For example, the increasing of the acrylonitrile content in NBR could significantly strengthen its resistance to non-polar oils.…”

Effect of carbon black on properties of acrylonitrile‐chloroprenerubber

“…17 These unique combinations of attributes of NCR are not achievable by either CR homopolymer or nitrile rubber (acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, NBR) alone 18 or by immiscible physical blends of CR and NBR. 19 NCR can be potentially suited for several high-performance industrial applications, such as hoses, pipes, diaphragms, seals for oil and gas, 20 rubber rollers, linings, belts, and so forth.…”