Pumps having components including carbon-manganese-chromium (c-mn-cr) steel alloys and related methods

Abstract

Systems and methods described herein may include pumps and pump components including carbon-manganese-chromium (C—Mn—Cr)-based steel alloys for enhanced resistance to wear or corrosion. A pump component may include one or more components formed of a C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy, which may result in enhanced wear or corrosion resistance. The C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy may include a carbon content ranging from about 0.1 weight percent (wt. %) to about 2 wt. %, a manganese content ranging from about 10 wt. % to about 30 wt. %, and a chromium content ranging from about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. %.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pump component including a carbon-manganese-chromium (C—Mn—Cr)-based ferrous alloy, the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy comprising:
 a carbon content ranging from about 0.1 weight percent (wt. %) to about 2 wt. %; 
 a manganese content ranging from about 10 wt. % to about 30 wt. %; and 
 a chromium content ranging from about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. %, 
 thereby to enhance one or more of wear resistance or corrosion resistance of the pump component. 
 
     
     
         2 . The pump component of  claim 1 , wherein the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy further includes one or more additional alloying elements selected from the group consisting of: aluminum (Al), nitrogen (N), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), boron (B), copper (Cu), niobium (Nb), and silicon (Si). 
     
     
         3 . The pump component of  claim 2 , wherein the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy ranges from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of each of the one or more additional alloying elements. 
     
     
         4 . The pump component of  claim 1 , wherein a remainder of the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy includes iron (Fe). 
     
     
         5 . The pump component of  claim 1 , wherein the pump component comprises one of a fluid end body, a plunger, a rod, a valve, a valve seat, a valve sleeve, a stuffing box, a packing sleeve, or a suction bore sleeve. 
     
     
         6 . The pump component of  claim 1 , wherein the pump component is a cast component. 
     
     
         7 . The pump component of  claim 1 , wherein the pump component is a forged component. 
     
     
         8 . The pump component of  claim 1 , wherein the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy is an austenitic steel, thereby to improve a work hardenability of the pump component. 
     
     
         9 . The pump component of  claim 1 , wherein a combination of the carbon content and the manganese content of the pump component enhances the wear resistance of the pump component, and the chromium content enhances the corrosion resistance of the pump component. 
     
     
         10 . The pump component of  claim 1 , wherein the pump component is installed within a pump and exhibits an average mass loss per hour that is less than about 0.6 grams per hour (g/h) during operation of the pump. 
     
     
         11 . The pump component of  claim 10 , wherein, during operation of the pump, the average mass loss per hour is at least 10 % less than an average mass loss per hour of a VP90 steel pump component installed within the pump. 
     
     
         12 . The pump component of  claim 1 , wherein the pump component has an operational life of at least 50 hours when installed within a pump. 
     
     
         13 . A pump including one or more pump components, the one or more pump components including a carbon-manganese-chromium (C—Mn—Cr)-based ferrous alloy, the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy comprising:
 a carbon content ranging from about 0.1 weight percent (wt. %) to about 2 wt. %; 
 a manganese content ranging from about 10 wt. % to about 30 wt. %; and 
 a chromium content ranging from about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. %, 
 thereby to enhance one or more of wear resistance or corrosion resistance of the one or more pump components. 
 
     
     
         14 . The pump of  claim 13 , wherein the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy further includes one or more additional alloying elements selected from the group consisting of: aluminum (Al), nitrogen (N), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), boron (B), copper (Cu), niobium (Nb), and silicon (Si). 
     
     
         15 . The pump of  claim 14 , wherein the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy ranges from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of each of the one or more additional alloying elements. 
     
     
         16 . The pump of  claim 13 , wherein a remainder of the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy includes iron (Fe). 
     
     
         17 . The pump of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more pump components comprise one or more of a fluid end body, a plunger, a rod, a valve, a valve seat, a valve sleeve, a stuffing box, a packing sleeve, or a suction bore sleeve. 
     
     
         18 . The pump of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more pump components include cast components. 
     
     
         19 . The pump of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more pump components include forged components. 
     
     
         20 . The pump of  claim 13 , wherein the pump comprises a reciprocating, positive-stroke displacement pump configured to pump a fracturing fluid that contains one or more of particulates or corrosives. 
     
     
         21 . The pump of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more pump components exhibit an average mass loss per hour less than about 0.6 grams per hour (g/h) during operation of the pump. 
     
     
         22 . The pump of  claim 21 , wherein, during operation of the pump, the average mass loss per hour is at least 10 % less than an average mass loss per hour of a VP90 steel pump component installed within the pump. 
     
     
         23 . The pump of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more pump components have an operational life of at least 50 hours. 
     
     
         24 . The pump of  claim 13 , wherein the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy is an austenitic steel, thereby to improve a work hardenability of the one or more pump components. 
     
     
         25 . The pump of  claim 13 , wherein a combination of the carbon content and the manganese content of the one or more pump components enhances the wear resistance of the one or more pump components, and the chromium content enhances the corrosion resistance of the one or more pump components. 
     
     
         26 . A method for enhancing one or more of wear resistance or corrosion resistance of a pump component, the method comprising:
 forming the pump component from a carbon-manganese-chromium (C—Mn—Cr)-based ferrous alloy, the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy comprising:
 a carbon content ranging from about 0.1 weight percent (wt. %) to about 2 wt. %, 
 a manganese content ranging from about 10 wt. % to about 30 wt. %, and 
 a chromium content ranging from about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. %, 
   thereby to enhance the one or more of the wear resistance or the corrosion resistance of the pump component.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy further includes one or more additional alloying elements selected from the group consisting of: aluminum (Al), nitrogen (N), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), boron (B), copper (Cu), niobium (Nb), and silicon (Si). 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy ranges from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of each of the one or more additional alloying elements. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein a remainder of the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy includes iron (Fe). 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the forming of the pump component comprises forming one or more of a fluid end body, a plunger, a rod, a valve, a valve seat, a valve sleeve, a stuffing box, a packing sleeve, or a suction bore sleeve. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the forming of the pump component comprises casting the pump component from the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy, the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy being an austenitic steel, thereby to yield the pump component with sufficient hardness without heat treatment. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the forming of the pump component comprises forging the pump component from the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy, the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy being an austenitic steel, thereby to yield the pump component with sufficient hardness without heat treatment. 
     
     
         33 . A method for enhancing one or more of wear resistance or corrosion resistance of a pump, the method comprising:
 separating a first pump component from the pump; and   replacing the first pump component with a second pump component, the second pump component including a carbon-manganese-chromium (C—Mn—Cr)-based ferrous alloy comprising:
 a carbon content ranging from about 0.1 weight percent (wt. %) to about 2 wt. %, 
 a manganese content ranging from about 10 wt. % to about 30 wt. %, and 
 a chromium content ranging from about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. %, 
   thereby to enhance the one or more of the wear resistance or the corrosion resistance of the pump.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy further includes one or more additional alloying elements selected from the group consisting of: aluminum (Al), nitrogen (N), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), boron (B), copper (Cu), niobium (Nb), and silicon (Si). 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy ranges from about 0 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of each of the one or more additional alloying elements. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein a remainder of the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy includes iron (Fe). 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the second pump component comprises one of a fluid end body, a plunger, a rod, a valve, a valve seat, a valve sleeve, a stuffing box, a packing sleeve, or a suction bore sleeve. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising casting the second pump component from the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy without subsequent heat treatment, thereby to yield the second pump component. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising forging the second pump component from the C—Mn—Cr-based ferrous alloy without subsequent heat treatment, thereby to yield the second pump component. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the pump comprises a reciprocating, positive-stroke displacement pump configured to pump a fracturing fluid that contains one or more of particulates or corrosives. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising, after replacing the first pump component with the second pump component, pumping a fracturing fluid for at least about 50 hours via operation of the pump without replacing the second pump component, the fracturing fluid comprising one or more of particulates or corrosives. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the second pump component exhibits an average mass loss per hour less than about 0.6 grams per hour (g/h) during the pumping of the fracturing fluid.