Institut Francais Du Pe'trole

Saipem S.a.

Bouygues Offshore

Condat S.a.

Angèle Chomard

Jean-Claude Hipeaux

Jacques Jarrin

Jean-François Argillier

Nguyen Truong Dinh

Jean-Marc Basset

Stéphane Ruelle

The process according to the invention includes the combination, with a liquid phase change material (PCM), of a texturing agent chosen so as to greatly reduce the thermal convection and whose viscosity is decreased reversibly under shearing. The material formed has a gelled consistency when at rest, and fluidized under shearing. The PCM comprises a mixture of chemical compounds from the alkane family: paraffins, waxes, fatty alcohols, fatty acids etc., and the texturing agent is a high mass polymer (hydrocarbonate polymers, ester or ether polymers, mixed ester-hydrocarbon polymers), an ionomer polymer or a di, tri or multi-block styrene copolymer (SBS: styrene-butadiene-styrene, SEBS: styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene). Applications: thermal insulation of vessels or lines, and more especially, for hydrocarbon transport lines.

Method for making a quasi-incompressible phase-change material, shear-thinned and with low heat conductivity

A method for making a quasi-incompressible phase-change material (PCM) having low thermal conductivity includes combining with a phase-change material (PCM) in liquid state a thickening agent selected to reduce significantly thermal convection, the formed material having, depending on the combinations performed, a gelled structure or a colloidal dispersed system. The PCM may be a mixture of chemical compounds of the family of alkanes, paraffins, waxes, fatty alcohols, fatty acids and the like, and the thickening agent may be organic (aromatic ureas), organometallic (alkaline or alkaline earth soaps) or purely inorganic (silica, silico-aluminates such as bentonite made oleophilic). The material is useful for thermal isolation of containers or pipes, and in particular for thermal insulation of hydrocarbon carrying pipes.

Method for making a quasi-incompressible phase-change material with low thermal conductivity, and resulting product

The present invention relates to and uses, in order to prevent crude oil from 'congealing' in a transportation line, a controlled-crosslinking thermal insulation gel, i.e. relatively fluid at the start and developing in-situ gelation in lines only under certain conditions, temperature conditions among other things. In order to obtain controlled crosslinking, it is possible to carry out 1) Physical crosslinkings, i.e. physical bonds between polymers&#x2014;completely reversible bonds by thermal effect and/or mechanical shear&#x2014;and 2) Chemical crosslinkings: monomers or polymers having functions allowing chemical bonds to be established between polymers.

Thermal insulation gel with controlled crosslinking for petroleum hydrocarbon transmission lines

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Paris, France

Angèle Chomard