Enhanced mechanical properties and degradation rate of Mg-Ni-Y alloy by introducing LPSO phase for degradable fracturing ball applications

In this work,as-cast Mg-Ni-Y alloys were proposed to develop a feasible material for fracturing balls,and their mechanical performance and corrosion behavior were systematically investigated.Long period stacking order(LPSO)phase was firstly introduced to improve both the mechanical properties and degradation rate of magnesium alloys.With the increase of LPSO phase,the compressive strength was improved significantly,while the elongation of the alloys decreased owing to the relatively brittle nature of LPSO phase.Due to the higher corrosion potential of LPSO phase,the LPSO phase can accelerate the corrosion process by providing more micro-couples.However,the LPSO phase would serve as the corrosion barrier between the corrosion medium and the matrix when the contents of LPSO phase are too high in Mg92.5Ni3Y4.5 and Mg87.5Ni5Y7.5 alloys.As-cast Mg97.5Ni1Y1.5 alloy with satisfactory mechanical properties and rapid degradation rate was successfully developed,exhibiting a high degradation rate of 6675 mm/a(93℃)in 3 wt.%KCl solution and a favorable ultimate compressive strength of 410 MPa.The degradation rate of Mg97.5Ni1Y1.5 alloy is 2-5 times of the current commercial magnesium alloy fracturing materials.

Experimental study on the working performance of different milling tools for multistage fracturing ball seats

To achieve the secondary production in multistage fracturing wells of tight oil,milling tools are usually used to remove the multistage fracturing ball seats to achieve production with a large diameter in later.In this paper,first of all,the working mechanism of milling tools for multistage fracturing ball seats was studied and a mechanical analysis model of single abrasive grain was established.Then,an experimental system for milling tools was developed,and the experimental tests of the flat,the blade,and the slope milling tool were conducted in order.Besides,the morphology of chips and the surface morphology of the workpiece after the experiment were analyzed.Also,the working performance of milling tools was evaluated from the perspectives of working safety,working efficiency,and wear resistance of the milling tool.The results show that the torque of the milling tool increases nonlinearly with the increase in the cutting depth of the abrasive grain and increases linearly with the increase in the cutting width.Also,the chips are irregular particles and the size is mainly from 10 to 50μm.So,the chips should be pumped up with a small pump pressure and a large displacement.Besides this,the cutting depths of the abrasive grains are from 216.20 to 635.47μm and the bottom surface of the milling tool should be eccentric to avoid the zero point of cutting speed.Furthermore,the torque of the slope milling tool is 23.8%larger than that of the flat milling tool,which is also 30.4%smaller than that of the blade milling tool.Compared with the flat milling tool,the working efficiency of the blade milling tool improves by 79.9%and the slope milling tool improves by 111.1%.Also,the wear resistance of the blade milling tool decreases by 102.7%,while the slope milling tool declines by 32.6%when compared with the flat milling tool.Therefore,the slope milling tool has the characteristics of moderate torque,stable working conditions,the highest working efficiency,and fine wear resistance,which is preferably used to mill multistage fracturing ball seats.This study provides a theoretical basis and guidance for milling multistage fracturing ball seats on-site and realizing production with a large diameter in later stages of multistage fracturing wells.

Effects of Fe concentration on microstructure and corrosion of Mg-6Al-1Zn-xFe alloys for fracturing balls applications

Mg-6 Al-1 Zn-xFe（x = 0,1,3,5 and 7 wt%）alloys were prepared by powder metallurgy and followed by hot extrusion.Majority of Fe element exists as insoluble particles in the alloys.The as-extruded alloys showed higher degradable rates but less stable mechanical properties than as-annealed alloys.Corrosion rate of all the alloys increased with increasing Fe concentration,reaching 2.4 mL cm-2h-1.0.2% yield strength of all the alloys was higher than 150 MPa.In short,Mg-6 Al-1 Zn-xFe alloys have an attractive combination of corrosion and mechanical properties,which holds a bright future for fracturing balls applications.

Effect of Ni on the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of MgGd_1Ni_(x) alloys for fracturing ball applications

The effects of Ni addition on the mechanical properties, corrosion behaviors, and corrosion mechanism of Mg Gd_1 Ni_(x) alloys have been investigated by compressive tests, weight loss, hydrogen evolution, and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the constitution of the second phase is large dependence on Ni/Gd molar ratios, which can transform from LPSO(long-period stacking ordered)+Mg_5 Gd,LPSO to eutectic phase. In addition, with increasing Ni/Gd molar ratios, the content of second phase increases gradually, while the LPSO phase shows a parabola relationship. Furthermore, the formation of Nicontaining LPSO phase not only can improve the strength but also accelerate the degradation of Mg alloys owing to the galvanic corrosion. The optimal properties with ultimate compressive strength, degradation rate are 340 MPa, 2066 mm/y for Mg Gd1 Ni0.75, respectively, which can meet the engineering application standard of fracturing ball and can be used as candidate materials for fracturing ball.

Multirange Fractals in Materials: Applications to Fracture and Mechanical Alloying under Ball Milling

A new model of multirange fractals is proposed to explain the experimental results observed on the fractal dimensions of the fractured surfaces in materials. A new explanation to the Williford's multifractal curve on the relationship of fractal dimension with fracture properties in materials has been given. It shows the importance of fractorizing out the effect of fractal structure from other physical causes and separating the appropriate range of scale from multirange fractals. Mechanical alloying process under ball milling as a non-equilibrium dynamical system has been also analyzed.

Development and prospects of degradable magnesium alloys for structural and functional applications in the fields of environment and energy

Magnesium and its alloys have such advantages with lightweight, high specific strength, good damping, high castability and machinability,which make them an attractive choice for applications where weight reduction is important, such as in the aerospace and automotive industries.However, their practical applications are still limited because of their poor corrosion resistance, low high temperature strength and ambient formability. Based on such their property shortcomings, recently degradable magnesium alloys were developed for broadening their potential applications. Considering the degradable Mg alloys for medical applications were well reviewed, the present review put an emphasis on such degradable magnesium alloys for structural and functional applications, especially the applications in the environmental and energy fields. Their applications as fracture ball in fossil energy, sacrificial anode, washing ball, and as battery anodes, transient electronics, were summarized. The roles of alloying elements in magnesium and the design concept of such degradable magnesium alloys were discussed. The existing challenges for extending their future applications are explored.