Trelleborg’s Latest FFKM Material Meets Demanding Enhanced Oil Recovery Requirements
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions used the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, USA, May 1-5 as a platform to launch its latest Isolast® perfluoroelastomer (FFKM) material development. Specifically engineered for the offshore industry, Isolast® J9554 matches up to the most demanding of upstream requirements and is ideally suited for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) systems.
Chris Busby, Product Manager for Isolast® material, says: “To achieve extended sealing life in demanding environments, it is important that sealing materials specified match up to the conditions likely to be faced. A particular focus for development of Isolast® J9554 was ensuring long seal life in EOR systems. This includes thermal recovery where heat is introduced to the oil reservoir to reduce the viscosity of the oil and cyclic steam injection, which is used extensively in heavy-oil reservoirs and tar sands to thin oil and enhance its ability to flow.”
Extensive testing was undertaken to prove that Isolast® J9554 can operate at the extreme temperatures and pressures encountered in critical upstream applications, including high temperature steam environments. The material exhibited excellent retention of physical properties following high temperature steam aging for one week at +300°C / +572°F.
Isolast® J9554 delivers exceptional chemical resistance and high thermal stability in harsh oil and gas environments. A high hardness, high modulus material with excellent long-term retention of physical properties, it is ideally suited to high pressure applications where high thermal stability and resistance to aggressive well bore chemicals such as amine-based corrosion inhibitors, steam and acids, are vital to ensure reliable seal performance.
The material demonstrates excellent compression set retention at high temperatures with temperature resistance from +14 °F/ -10 °C to +527 °F/ +275 °C with excursions to +572 °F/ +300 °C. In addition to EOR applications, the material is also suited to use in downhole tools and chemical dosing pumps.
Isolast® J9554 is part of a range of high specification FFKM compounds that have been developed to provide equipment manufacturers and end users with sealing solutions compatible with virtually all chemical media, over the widest temperature range possible. Unique Isolast® formulations give real benefits and cost advantages by providing optimum seal reliability and extended service life.
