Elastomers for High Pressure Low Temperature HPLT Sealing

Abstract

This study demonstrates the characteristics of elastomers with excellent sealing performance at both low and high temperatures, as required by subsea wellheads and blowout preventers (BOP). Elastomers with excellent rapid-gas-decompression (RGD) resistance and high temperature sealing normally have limited low temperature sealing performance due to their high modulus characteristics. It is, therefore, challenging to identify elastomers with RGD resistance that have both high and low temperature sealing performance. This study investigates the glass transition temperature (Tg) and high pressure compression stress relaxation behavior of various elastomers at low temperatures, and presents their influence on low temperature sealing performance under test conditions of static as well as cycling pressure/temperature. Additionally, the effect of high pressure N2 test gas on elastomer sealing performance was investigated.