High-resistivity particle-matrix composite materials, downhole tools including such composite materials, and related methods

Abstract

A particle-matrix composite material comprises a metal alloy phase, the metal alloy having a resistivity of at least about seven hundred and fifty (750) nano-ohms per meter, and a composite phase comprising ceramic particles dispersed throughout portions of the metal alloy phase. The composite phase extends throughout the particle-matrix composite material in a substantially three-dimensional network, and regions of the composite phase at least partially surround regions of the metal alloy phase that are free of the ceramic particles. Methods of forming a particle-matrix composite body include coating particles of metal alloy with relatively finer particles of ceramic, partially compacting the coated particles of metal alloy, and heating the partially compacted particles of metal alloy to form a substantially continuous metal alloy matrix with ceramic particles dispersed therein. Downhole tools including components comprising particle-matrix composite materials are also disclosed.

1 . A downhole tool, comprising:
 a tool body including at least one component comprising a particle-matrix composite material, the particle-matrix composite material comprising:
 a metal alloy phase, the metal alloy of the metal alloy phase having a resistivity of at least about seven hundred and fifty (750) nano-ohms per meter; and 
 a composite phase comprising ceramic particles dispersed throughout portions of the metal alloy phase, wherein the composite phase extends throughout the particle-matrix composite material in a substantially three-dimensional network, and wherein regions of the composite phase at least partially surround regions of the metal alloy phase that are free of the ceramic particles. 
   
     
     
         2 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy comprises at least iron, carbon, and manganese. 
     
     
         3 . The downhole tool of  claim 2 , wherein the mass ratio of manganese to carbon in the metal alloy is about 10:1 or more. 
     
     
         4 . The downhole tool of  claim 3 , wherein the metal alloy comprises at least about twenty weight percent (20 wt %) manganese. 
     
     
         5 . The downhole tool of  claim 3 , wherein the metal alloy comprises at least about thirty weight percent (30 wt %) manganese. 
     
     
         6 . The downhole tool of  claim 2 , wherein the metal alloy comprises an iron alloy including between about twenty weight percent (20 wt %) and about thirty-five weight percent (35 wt %) manganese, between about five weight percent (5 wt %) and about twelve weight percent (12 wt %) aluminum, and between about 0.3 weight percent (0.3 wt %) and about 1.2 weight percent (1.2 wt %) carbon. 
     
     
         7 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy comprises iron and at least about ten weight percent (10 wt %) chromium. 
     
     
         8 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic particles comprise material chosen from the group consisting of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), cubic boron nitride (c-BN) and silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ). 
     
     
         9 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic particles comprise at least about 5 weight percent (5 wt %) of the particle-matrix composite material. 
     
     
         10 . The downhole of  claim 9 , wherein the ceramic particles comprise at least about 20 weight percent (20 wt %) of the particle-matrix composite material. 
     
     
         11 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the bulk particle-matrix composite material has an electrical resistivity of at least about 1500 nano-ohms per meter (nΩ/m) and a Young's modulus of at least about 175 GPa. 
     
     
         12 . The downhole tool of  claim 1 , wherein the downhole tool comprises a tool configured to measure formation resistivity. 
     
     
         13 . A method of forming a particle-matrix composite material body, the method comprising:
 coating particles of metal alloy with relatively finer particles of ceramic;   partially compacting the coated particles of metal alloy; and   heating the partially compacted coated particles of metal alloy to form a substantially continuous metal alloy matrix with ceramic particles dispersed therein.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein coating particles of metal alloy with relatively finer particles of ceramic comprises intermixing particles of metal alloy with relatively finer particles of ceramic in a ball mill. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein intermixing particles of metal alloy with relatively finer particles of ceramic in a ball mill comprises rotating the ball mill at a speed of about 100 revolutions per minute or less for about 50 hours or more. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein coating particles of metal alloy with relatively finer particles of ceramic comprises coating particles of metal alloy with an average particle size of between about 40 μm and about 45 μm with particles of ceramic with an average particle size of about 0.3 μm or less. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein coating particles of metal alloy with an average particle size of between about 40 μm and about 45 μm with particles of ceramic with an average particle size of about 0.3 μm comprises coating particles of metal alloy with an average particle size of about 0.03 μm or less. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein heating the partially compacted coated particles of metal alloy comprises heating the partially compacted coated particles of metal alloy in a hot isostatic pressing operation. 
     
     
         19 . A particle-matrix composite material, comprising:
 a metal alloy phase, the metal alloy having a resistivity of at least about seven hundred and fifty (750) nano-ohms per meter; and   a composite phase comprising ceramic particles dispersed throughout portions of the metal alloy phase, wherein the composite phase extends throughout the particle-matrix composite material in a substantially three-dimensional network, and wherein regions of the composite phase at least partially surround regions of the metal alloy phase that are free of the ceramic particles.   
     
     
         20 . The particle-matrix composite of  claim 19 , wherein the average grain size of the ceramic particles is about one percent (1%) or less of an average grain size of the regions of the metal alloy phase that are free of the ceramic particles.