Natural Aging of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Rubber under Actual Operation Conditions of Electrical Submersible Pump Cables

Ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubbers used in electric submersible pump (ESP) cables were analyzed after being aged in actual operation conditions in oil wellbores. These rubbers constitute the insulation and jacket layers of the ESP cables. EPDM rubbers from four different cables operatin...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Materials 2021-09, Vol.14 (19), p.5520
Main Authors: Rojas Rodríguez, Freddy Ignacio, d’Almeida Moraes, José Roberto, Marinkovic, Bojan A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging
Aging (natural)
Cables
Chain scission
Crosslinking
Degradation
Electric cables
Ethylene
Fourier transforms
Fractions
Galvanized steel
Insulation
Mechanical properties
Nuclear power plants
Oxidation
Petroleum industry
Petroleum production
Propylene
Pumps
Radiation
Rubber
Sea level
Spectrum analysis
Stability analysis
Structural analysis
Tensile strength
Thermal analysis
Thermal stability
Well drilling
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubbers used in electric submersible pump (ESP) cables were analyzed after being aged in actual operation conditions in oil wellbores. These rubbers constitute the insulation and jacket layers of the ESP cables. EPDM rubbers from four different cables operating during different time intervals (2 and 4.8 years) at different depths (from 760 to 2170 m) below sea level were studied. To verify the effects of the long exposure on the rubber performance, thermal analysis was performed to determine the thermal stability and activation energy of degradation. In addition, structural analysis, through vibrational spectroscopy and crosslinking fraction assessment, was carried out. The mechanical properties of the aged rubbers were inferred through the measurement of hardness, while the absorption of a service fluid was studied by gravimetry. The results showed only minor changes in the thermal, structural, mechanical and barrier properties of the EPDM-based ESP cable layers. It is suggested that the thermo-oxidation mechanism followed by chain scission does not have a role in the degradation of EPDM within the aged ESP cables, and no sign of variation of crosslink fractions has been encountered. Therefore, it was concluded that EPDM-based layers seem not to be weak links in the configuration of modern ESP systems.
ISSN:1996-1944
1996-1944
DOI:10.3390/ma14195520