Severe plastic deformation of degradable materials

Abstract

A method can include processing material via at least one severe plastic deformation process to form a degradable component where the material includes aluminum and one or more metals selected from a group of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, group 12 transition metals, and basic metals having an atomic number equal to or greater than 31.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 processing material via at least one severe plastic deformation process to form a degradable component wherein the material 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.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one severe plastic deformation process comprises equal channel angular pressing (ECAP). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one severe plastic deformation process comprises cryomilling. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one severe plastic deformation process comprises high pressure torsion (HPT). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one severe plastic deformation process comprises surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the processing via surface mechanical attrition treatment hardens a near surface layer of the degradable component. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one severe plastic deformation process alters at least one degradation characteristic of the degradable component. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the material comprises grain material and grain boundary material and wherein the at least one severe plastic deformation process increases discontinuity of the grain boundary material to thereby decrease degradability of the material. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one severe plastic deformation process increases yield strength of at least a portion of the degradable component and decreases degradation rate of at least the portion of the degradable component. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the material comprises dispersoids. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the processing comprises cryomilling and wherein the dispersoids are formed during the cryomilling. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the dispersoids comprise at least one type of oxide. 
     
     
         13 . 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. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  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. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more metals selected from the group comprises gallium. 
     
     
         16 . 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. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the degradable component is degradable in an aqueous environment. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the degradable component comprises a metal matrix composite. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the degradable component comprises at least a portion of a borehole tool. 
     
     
         20 . A degradable component of a borehole tool, the degradable component comprising:
 material that comprises grain material that comprises an aluminum alloy and discontinuous grain boundary material that comprises 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.   
     
     
         21 . The degradable component of  claim 20  wherein the degradable component comprises a near surface layer that comprises the material that comprises the grain material and that comprises the discontinuous grain boundary material wherein the near surface layer is formed at least in part via a surface mechanical attrition treatment. 
     
     
         22 . The degradable component of  claim 20  wherein the discontinuous grain boundary material comprises gallium. 
     
     
         23 . The degradable component of  claim 20  comprising material that comprises grain material that comprises an aluminum alloy and substantially continuous grain boundary material that comprises 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. 
     
     
         24 . A method comprising:
 processing material via equal channel angle pressing to generate processed material wherein the material 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   processing the processed material via surface mechanical attrition treatment processing to form a near surface layer that comprises properties that differ from properties of an adjacent layer of the processed material.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein material comprises gallium. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  comprising making a degradable component of a borehole tool.