Evaluation of the Performance of O-Rings Made with Different Elastomeric Polymers in Simulated Geothermal Environments at 300°C

Abstract

Notice: This manuscript has been authored by an employee of Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC02-98CH 10886 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The publisher by accepting the manuscript for publication acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for the United States Government purposes. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND2014-SAND2014-20707R compatibility with all of the environments. However, one drawback for consideration was the deposition of silicate scales during the exposure in geo-brine fluid. Although FSR possessed the highest thermal decomposition temperature (i.e. enhanced heat stability) among these elastomeric polymers, it was extremely susceptible to hydrothermal oxidation; this susceptibility caused severe disintegration of the O-ring in all environments, indicating poor suitability to geothermal fields.