Manufacture of Controlled Rate Dissolving Materials

Abstract

A castable, moldable, or extrudable structure using a metallic base metal or base metal alloy. One or more insoluble additives are added to the metallic base metal or base metal alloy so that the grain boundaries of the castable, moldable, or extrudable structure includes a composition and morphology to achieve a specific galvanic corrosion rates partially or throughout the structure or along the grain boundaries of the structure. The insoluble additives can be used to enhance the mechanical properties of the structure, such as ductility and/or tensile strength. The insoluble particles generally have a submicron particle size. The final structure can be enhanced by heat treatment, as well as deformation processing such as extrusion, forging, or rolling, to further improve the strength of the final structure as compared to the non-enhanced structure.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A metal cast structure that includes a base metal material and a plurality of particles disbursed in said metal cast structure to obtain a desired dissolution rate of said metal cast structure, said particles having a melting point that is greater than a melting point of said base metal material, said particles constitute about 0.1-40 wt. % of said metal cast structure, said particles have a different galvanic potential from said base metal material, said base metal material is a magnesium alloy or an aluminum alloy, said particles including one or more materials selected from the group consisting of iron, copper, titanium, zinc, tin, cadmium, lead, beryllium, nickel, carbon, iron alloy, copper alloy, titanium alloy, zinc alloy, tin alloy, cadmium alloy, lead alloy, beryllium alloy, and nickel alloy. 
     
     
         27 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said base metal material includes a majority weight percent magnesium. 
     
     
         28 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said particles resist forming compounds with said base metal material due to a solubility of said particles in said base metal material, said particles having a solubility in said base metal material of less than 5%. 
     
     
         29 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said particles have a particle size of less than 1 μm. 
     
     
         30 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said particles a melting point of greater than 700° C. 
     
     
         31 . The metal cast structure as defined in  26 , wherein said particles include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of iron, beryllium, copper, titanium, nickel, and carbon. 
     
     
         32 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said base metal material includes zinc. 
     
     
         33 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said base metal material includes aluminum. 
     
     
         34 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said base metal material is an alloy of magnesium, aluminum and zinc, an aluminum content in said base metal material is greater than a zinc content. 
     
     
         35 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said metal cast structure has a dissolution rate of 0.2 mg/cm 2 -min in a 3% KCl solution at 20° C. 
     
     
         36 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said metal cast structure has a dissolution rate of 1 mg/cm 2 -hr in a 3% KCl solution at 65° C. 
     
     
         37 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said metal cast structure has a dissolution rate of 10 mg/cm 2 -hr in a 3% KCl solution at 90° C. 
     
     
         38 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said metal cast structure forms all or part of a ball or other component in a well drilling or completion operation. 
     
     
         39 . A metal cast structure that includes a base metal material and a plurality of particles disbursed in said metal cast structure to obtain a desired dissolution rate of said metal cast structure, said particles having a melting point that is greater than a melting point of said base metal material, said particles have a size that is less than about 1 μm, said particles have a different galvanic potential from said base metal material, said base metal material is a magnesium alloy or an aluminum alloy, said particles including one or more materials selected from the group consisting of iron, copper, titanium, zinc, tin, cadmium, beryllium, nickel, carbon, iron alloy, copper alloy, titanium alloy, zinc alloy, tin alloy, cadmium alloy, beryllium alloy, and nickel alloy. 
     
     
         40 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said base metal material includes a majority weight percent magnesium. 
     
     
         41 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said particles resist forming compounds with said base metal material due to a solubility of said particles in said base metal material. 
     
     
         42 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said particles a melting point of greater than 700° C. 
     
     
         43 . The metal cast structure as defined in  39 , wherein said particles include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of iron, beryllium, copper, titanium, nickel, and carbon. 
     
     
         44 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said base metal material includes zinc. 
     
     
         45 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said base metal material includes aluminum. 
     
     
         46 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said base metal material is an alloy of magnesium, aluminum and zinc, an aluminum content in said base metal material is greater than a zinc content. 
     
     
         47 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said metal cast structure has a dissolution rate of 0.2 mg/cm 2 -min in a 3% KCl solution at 20° C. 
     
     
         48 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said metal cast structure has a dissolution rate of 1 mg/cm 2 -hr in a 3% KCl solution at 65° C. 
     
     
         49 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said metal cast structure has a dissolution rate of 10 mg/cm 2 -hr in a 3% KCl solution at 90° C. 
     
     
         50 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said metal cast structure forms all or part of a ball or other component in a well drilling or completion operation. 
     
     
         51 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein at least 50% of said plurality of particles located in grain boundary layers of said metal cast structure, said particles selected and used in a quantity to obtain a composition and morphology of said grain boundary layers to obtain a galvanic corrosion rate along said grain boundary layers. 
     
     
         52 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said particles constitute 0.05-49.99 wt. % of said metal cast structure. 
     
     
         53 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said particles includes a first and second particle type, said first and second particle type having a different composition. 
     
     
         54 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said particles have said galvanic potential that is more anodic than said galvanic potential of said base metal material. 
     
     
         55 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said particles have said galvanic potential that is more cathodic than said galvanic potential of said base metal material. 
     
     
         56 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said particles have a surface area of about 0.001 m 2 /g-200 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         57 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said particles include nanotubes, nanowires, chopped fibers or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         58 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said particles include non-spherical particles. 
     
     
         59 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said particles include spherical particles of varying diameters. 
     
     
         60 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said metal cast structure has dissolution rate of 0.2 mg/cm 2 -min in a 3% KCl solution at 20° C. 
     
     
         61 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said metal cast structure has dissolution rate of 1 mg/cm 2 -hr in a 3% KCl solution at 65° C. 
     
     
         62 . The metal cast structure as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said metal cast structure has dissolution rate of 10 mg/cm 2 -hr in a 3% KCl solution at 90° C.