Scaling and corrosion resistant fluid conduit

Abstract

A fluid conduit (10) is provided having (a) a fluid conduit exterior surface (14); (b) a fluid conduit interior surface (16); (c) an electroless nickel protective coating (18) disposed upon one or both of the fluid conduit interior surface and the fluid conduit exterior surface; and (d) a layer (20) of Ni3S2 disposed upon and substantially covering the electroless nickel protective coating. The fluid conduit can be any fluid conduit through which a fluid may be caused to pass, such as a downhole tubular used in oil and gas production, or a gas liquid cyclonic separator. And a hydrocarbon production tube, a method of producing a fluid conduit comprising a nickel sulfide protective layer, a machine component comprising at least one surface having a protective outer layer are provided. The combination of the electroless nickel inner protective coating with an outer layer of Ni3S2 affords articles such as fluid conduits and machine components with exceptional scale and corrosion resistance.

1 . A fluid conduit, the fluid conduit defining an interior volume and comprising:
 (a) a fluid conduit exterior surface;   (b) a fluid conduit interior surface;   (c) an electroless nickel protective coating disposed upon at least one of the fluid conduit interior surface and the fluid conduit exterior surface; and   (d) a layer of Ni 3 S 2  disposed upon and substantially covering the electroless nickel protective coating.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid conduit according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer of Ni 3 S 2  is characterized by an average thickness in a range from about 1 to about 100 microns and hermetically isolates the electroless nickel protective coating from the fluid conduit interior volume. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid conduit according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer of Ni 3 S 2  is characterized by one or more morphologies selected from the group consisting of one or more nanosheet morphologies, one or more nanowire morphologies, one or more rod-like morphologies, one or more block-like morphologies, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing morphologies. 
     
     
         4 . The fluid conduit according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer of Ni 3 S 2  is characterized principally by one of i) one or more nanosheet morphologies, ii) one or more nanowire morphologies, iii) one or more rod-like morphologies, and iv) one or more block-like morphologies. 
     
     
         5 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The fluid conduit according to  claim 1 , wherein the electroless nickel protective coating is configured as a bilayer coating comprising an inner electroless nickel bond layer comprising from about to about 20% by weight phosphorous based on a total weight of the electroless nickel bond layer, and an electroless nickel outer layer comprising hard particles selected from the group consisting of diamond, silicon carbide, boron nitride, talc, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing. 
     
     
         9 . The fluid conduit according to  claim 8 , wherein the hard particles are present in a range from about 10 to about 40 percent by weight based on the total weight of the electroless nickel outer layer. 
     
     
         10 . The fluid conduit according to  claim 1 , wherein a metallurgical bond is formed between the fluid conduit interior surface and the electroless nickel protective coating. 
     
     
         11 . The fluid conduit according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is selected from the group consisting of production tubing, valves, storage vessels, reaction vessels, surface pipelines, subsea pipelines, cyclonic separators, wellheads, manifolds, blowout preventers, Christmas trees, and exhaust gas conduits. 
     
     
         12 . The fluid conduit according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is a tube for transporting a hydrocarbon production fluid. 
     
     
         13 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method of producing a fluid conduit comprising a nickel sulfide protective layer, the method comprising:
 (a) heating a fluid conduit comprising an electroless nickel protective coating disposed upon a surface of the fluid conduit in contact with a fluid comprising hydrogen sulfide; and   (b) depositing a protective layer of Ni 3 S 2  upon and substantially covering the electroless nickel protective coating.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said heating is carried at one or more temperatures in a range from about 100 to about 400 degrees centigrade. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the protective layer of Ni 3 S 2  is characterized by an average thickness in a range from about 1 to about 100 microns and hermetically isolates the electroless nickel protective coating. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein said fluid comprising hydrogen sulfide further comprises water. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 22 , further comprising a post deposition annealing step which converts an initial Ni 3 S 2  morphology into an alternate Ni 3 S 2  morphology. 
     
     
         27 . A machine component comprising at least one surface having a protective outer layer, the protective outer layer comprising:
 (a) an inner electroless nickel coating; and   (b) a layer of Ni 3 S 2  disposed upon and substantially covering the electroless nickel coating.   
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The machine component according to  claim 27 , wherein the layer of Ni 3 S 2  is characterized by one or more morphologies selected from the group consisting of one or more nanosheet morphologies, one or more nanowire morphologies, one or more rod-like morphologies, one or more block-like morphologies, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing morphologies. 
     
     
         30 . The machine component according to  claim 27 , wherein the layer of Ni 3 S 2  is characterized principally by one of i) one or more nanosheet morphologies, ii) one or more nanowire morphologies, iii) one or more rod-like morphologies, and iv) one or more block-like morphologies. 
     
     
         31 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The machine component according to  claim 27 , wherein the electroless nickel protective coating is configured as a bilayer coating comprising an inner electroless nickel bond layer comprising from about 10 to about 20% by weight phosphorous based on a total weight of the electroless nickel bond layer, and an electroless nickel outer layer comprising hard particles selected from the group consisting of diamond, silicon carbide, boron nitride, talc, and combinations of two or more of the foregoing. 
     
     
         35 . The machine component according to  claim 34 , wherein the hard particles are present in a range from about 10 to about 40 percent by weight based on the total weight of the electroless nickel outer layer. 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The machine component according to  claim 27 , which component is a compressor blade, a turbine blade, a turboexpander blade, a turbocharger vane, a diffuser vane, an inlet guide vane, an outlet guide vane, a pump vane, a fane blade, a mixer blade, an impeller, a bearing, a bushing, a motor housing, a pump housing, a compressor housing, a shroud, a rotor, a stator, a driving rod, a strut, a gear box, a gear wheel, a piston, a piston rod, a spring, a cantilever arm, a seal, a rivet, a bolt, a nut, a washer, a screw, a dowel, or a combination of two or more of the foregoing machine components. 
     
     
         38 . (canceled)