METHODS FOR MAKING MULTILAYER TUBULAR ARTICLES

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a multilayer tubular article, to processes for the manufacture of said multilayer tubular article and to uses of said multilayer tubular article in upstream applications for conveying hydrocarbons from a well to a floating off-shore unit via a bottom platform.

Claims

1. A process for recovering one or more hydrocarbons, said process comprising: upstreaming a composition comprising one or more hydrocarbons through at least one multilayer tubular article, the article comprising: a tube comprising at least one concentric layer (Pc) consisting of a composition (P) comprising at least one thermoplastic polymer (T), said tube having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the tube comprises one or more functional groups, and adhered to at least a portion of at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of said tube, at least one concentric layer (Mc) consisting of a composition (M) comprising at least one metal compound comprising one or more metals [compound (M)].

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer tubular article comprises: a tube comprising the at least one layer (Pc), said tube having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the tube comprises one or more functional groups, and adhered to at least a portion of the inner surface of said tube, the at least one inner layer (Mc).

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer tubular article comprises: a tube comprising the at least one layer (Pc), said tube having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the tube comprises one or more functional groups, and adhered to at least a portion of the outer surface of said tube, at least one outer layer (Mc).

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer tubular article comprises: a tube comprising the at least one layer (Pc), said tube having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the tube comprises one or more functional groups, adhered to at least a portion of the inner surface of said tube, at least one inner layer (Mc), and adhered to at least a portion of the outer surface of said tube, at least one outer layer (Mc), said outer layer (Mc) being equal to or different from said inner layer (Mc).

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the tube of the multilayer tubular article comprises one or more N-containing functional groups.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer (T) is a fluoropolymer [polymer (F)].

7. The process according to claim 6, wherein polymer (F) is selected from the group consisting of: polymers (F-1) comprising recurring units derived from vinylidene fluoride (VDF) and, optionally, at least one monomer (F) different from VDF, polymers (F-2) comprising recurring units derived from at least one monomer (F) selected from tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), at least one monomer (H) selected from ethylene (E), propylene and isobutylene and, optionally, at least one monomer (F) different from TFE and/or CTFE, and polymers (F-3) comprising recurring units derived from tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and at least one monomer (F) selected from the group consisting of perfluoroalkylvinylethers of formula CF.sub.2═CFOR.sub.f1′, wherein R.sub.f1′ is a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 perfluoroalkyl group, and C.sub.3-C.sub.8 perfluoroolefins.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the at least one layer (Mc) of the at least one multilayer tubular article has a thickness comprised between 100 nm and 1 mm.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer tubular article is manufactured by a process comprising: (1-a) providing a tube comprising at least one layer (Pc), said layer (Pc) having an inner surface and an outer surface; (1-b) treating at least a portion of at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of said at least one layer (Pc) of the tube provided in step (1-a) by a glow discharge process; and (1-c) depositing by electroless plating at least one layer (Mc) on the treated inner surface and/or outer surface of said at least one layer (Pc) of the tube provided in step (1-b).

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer tubular article is manufactured by a process comprising: (2-a) providing a tube comprising at least one layer (Pc), said layer (Pc) having an inner surface and an outer surface; (2-b) providing a tape comprising: at least one layer (P) consisting of a composition (P), wherein composition (P) comprises at least one polymer (T), said layer (P) having an inner surface and an outer surface, and adhered to at least a portion of the outer surface of said at least one layer (P), at least one layer (M) consisting of a composition (M), wherein composition (M) comprises at least one metal compound comprising one or more metals [compound (M)]; and (2-c) wrapping the tape provided in step (2-b) onto at least a portion of the outer surface of the tube provided in step (2-a).

11. The process according to claim 10, wherein the tape provided in step (2-b) is manufactured by a process comprising: (3-a) treating at least a portion of the outer surface of at least one layer (P) by a glow discharge process; and (3-b) depositing by electroless plating at least one layer (M) on the treated outer surface of said at least one layer (P) as provided in step (3-a).

12. The process according to claim 9, wherein the glow discharge process is carried out in the presence of an etching gas medium.

13. The process according to claim 12, wherein the etching gas medium comprises at least one gas selected from the group consisting of N.sub.2, NH.sub.3, CH.sub.4, CO.sub.2, He, O.sub.2 and H.sub.2.

14. The process according to claim 13, wherein the etching gas medium further comprises air.

15. The process according to claim 12, wherein the etching gas medium comprises N.sub.2: from 5% to 95% by volume of N.sub.2, optionally, up to 15% by volume of H.sub.2, optionally, up to 95% by volume of He, and optionally, up to 95% by volume of air.

16. The process according to claim 11, wherein the glow discharge process is carried out in the presence of an etching gas medium.

17. The process according to claim 16, wherein the etching gas medium comprises at least one gas selected from the group consisting of N.sub.2, NH.sub.3, CH.sub.4, CO.sub.2, He, O.sub.2 and H.sub.2.

18. The process according to claim 17, wherein the etching gas medium further comprises air.

19. The process according to claim 16, wherein the etching gas medium comprises N.sub.2, preferably consists of: from 5% to 95% by volume of N.sub.2, optionally, up to 15% by volume of H.sub.2, optionally, up to 95% by volume of He, and optionally, up to 95% by volume of air.

20. The process according to claim 7, wherein, in polymers (F-2), the at least one monomer (F) different from TFE and/or CTFE is present in an amount of from 0.01% to 30% by moles, based on the total amount of TFE, CTFE and monomer (H).

Description

EXAMPLE 1—MANUFACTURE OF A TAPE

1-A—Surface Modification

[0269] One surface of the film of ECTFE-1 was treated at atmospheric pressure by a radio-frequency plasma discharge process. The etching gas was a mixture of N.sub.2 (95% by volume) and H.sub.2 (5% by volume). The working frequency was 40 kHz and the voltage was 20 kV.

[0270] A sample (20 mm×30 mm) of the treated surface of the film of ECTFE-1 so obtained was analysed by ATR-FTIR using a Ge crystal with a resolution of 2 cm.sup.−1 and 256 scans.

[0271] The results were compared by performing spectral subtraction between the spectra obtained for the treated surface of the film of ECTFE-1 obtained according to Example 1-A and the spectra obtained for the untreated film of ECTFE-1 obtained according to Comparative Example 1: weak bands were observed in the region of about 3300 cm.sup.−1 and from 1680 cm.sup.−1 to 1500 cm.sup.−1, which were compatible with the presence of chemical groups containing nitrogen atoms like amide groups (—CONH.sub.2), amine groups (—NH.sub.2), imine groups (—CH═NH) and nitrile groups (—CN).

1-B—Metallization Process

[0272] The treated surface of the film of ECTFE-1 obtained according to Example 1-A was coated with metallic copper by electroless plating. Prior to copper deposition, the treated surface of the film of ECTFE-1 was activated by immersion in an aqueous solution containing 0.03 g/L of PdCl.sub.2 for 1 minute, resulting in the treated surface of the film of ECTFE-1 being entirely coated with Pd particles at a high density. The so activated surface of the film of ECTFE-1 was then immersed in an aqueous plating bath containing 10 g/L of CuSO.sub.4 and 0.01 g/L of formaldehyde. The plating temperature was 25° C. and its pH value was 4.

[0273] The thickness of the copper layer coated onto the treated surface of the film of ECTFE-1 was 0.5 μm, as measured by SEM.

EXAMPLE 2—MANUFACTURE OF A TAPE

2-A—Metallization Process

[0274] The tape obtained according to Example 1 was further coated with metallic nickel by electrodeposition using an electrolyte medium containing Ni sulfate and Ni chloride, boric acid and organic additives. The plating bath was heated at 45° C. and mechanically stirred during the process. Electrodeposition was performed in galvanostatic conditions at 10 mA/cm.sup.2.

[0275] The thickness of the nickel layer coated onto the tape obtained according to Example 1-B was 20 μm, as measured by SEM.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1

[0276] The film consisting of ECTFE-1 as such having a thickness of 50 μm was tested.

[0277] As shown in Table 2 here below, the tapes obtained according to either Example 1 or Example 2 of the invention successfully exhibited high adhesion strength and low permeability to both water vapour at 90° C. and to nitrogen at 120° C. as compared to the untreated film of ECTFE-1 of Comparative Example 1:

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 WVTR Adhesion Run [cm3 (STP) .Math. mm/m2 .Math. atm .Math. day] strength Ex. 1 Water vapour (90° C.): 80 5B Nitrogen (120° C.): <10 Ex. 2 Water vapour (90° C.): <10 5B Nitrogen (120° C.): <10 C. Ex. 1 Water vapour (90° C.): 7700 Not applicable Nitrogen (120° C.): 280

EXAMPLE 3—MANUFACTURE OF A TAPE

3-A—Surface Modification

[0278] One surface of PVDF-1 was treated at atmospheric pressure by a radio-frequency plasma discharge process. The etching gas was a mixture of N.sub.2 (95% by volume) and H.sub.2 (5% by volume). The working frequency was 40 kHz and the voltage was 20 kV.

3-B—Metallization Process

[0279] The treated surface of PVDF-1 obtained according to Example 3-A was coated with metallic nickel by electroless plating. Prior to nickeldeposition, the treated surface of PVDF-1 was activated by immersion in an aqueous solution containing 0.03 g/L of PdCl.sub.2 for 1 minute, resulting in the treated surface of PVDF-1 being entirely coated with Pd particles at a high density. The so activated surface of PVDF-1 was then immersed in an aqueous plating bath containing 90 g/L of NiSO.sub.4, boric acid and organic additives. The plating temperature was 90° C. and its pH value was 4. The thickness of the nickel layer coated onto the treated surface of PVDF-1 was 0.15 μm, as measured by SEM.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2

[0280] The sample consisting of PVDF-1 as such having a thickness of 6 mm was tested.

[0281] As shown in Table 3 here below, the sample obtained according to Example 3 of the invention successfully exhibited lower permeability to hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide and methane at 120° C. as compared to the untreated sample of PVDF-1 of Comparative Example 2:

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Coefficient Permeability [cm3 .Math. cm/s .Math. cm2 .Math. bar] Ex. 3 C. Ex. 2 H.sub.2S 5.8 × 10.sup.−8 12 × 10.sup.−8 CO.sub.2 6.5 × 10.sup.−8 14 × 10.sup.−8 CH.sub.4 5.9 × 10.sup.−8 13 × 10.sup.−8