Blending of water reactive powders

Abstract

A method can include blending materials to form a blend where the materials include a first particulate material and a second particulate material and where the first particulate material is water reactive and includes aluminum and one or more metals selected from a group consisting of metals, alkaline earth metals, group 12 transition metals, and basic having an atomic number equal to or greater than 31; and forming a degradable object from the blend.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 blending materials to form a blend wherein the materials comprise a first particulate material and a second particulate material and wherein the first particulate material is water reactive and comprises aluminum and one or more metals selected from a group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, group 12 transition metals, and basic metals having an atomic number equal to or greater than 31; and   forming a degradable object from the blend.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  comprising forming the second particulate material at least in part via a severe plastic deformation process. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second particulate material is water reactive. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second particulate material is a metal powder. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the water reactivity of the first particulate material exceeds water reactivity of the second particulate material. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the materials comprise at least one non-metallic particulate material. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first particulate material imparts degradability to the degradable object. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the forming comprises consolidating the blend. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the forming comprises consolidating the blend to form a consolidated near-net shape object. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  comprising machining the near-net shape object to form the degradable objection wherein the degradable object comprises a component of a borehole tool. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the blending occurs before a process that subjects the blend to severe plastic deformation. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the blending occurs during a process that subjects the blend to severe plastic deformation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the blending occurs after a process that subjects at least one of the materials to severe plastic deformation. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the materials comprises dispersoids. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the dispersoids are formed via cryomilling. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more metals selected from the group comprises at least one basic metal having an atomic number equal to or greater than 31. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the at least one basic metal having an atomic number equal to or greater than 31 comprises at least approximately two percent by weight of the material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more metals selected from the group comprises gallium. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the gallium comprises at least approximately two percent by weight of the first particulate material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more metals selected from the group comprises indium. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more metals selected from the group comprises at least one member selected from a group consisting of gallium, indium, tin, bismuth, zinc, mercury, lithium, sodium and potassium. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the degradable object is degradable in an aqueous environment. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the degradable object comprises a metal matrix composite. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the degradable object comprises at least a portion of a borehole tool.