The Use of Microarc Oxidation Technology to Increase the Durability of Parts of Friction Units of Oil Production Equipment

The article is devoted to the study of the prospects of using aluminum alloy parts with an oxide-ceramic coating applied to the friction surface by the method of microarc oxidation in friction units operating due to lubrication by the liquid medium in which they operate or which is pumped by this mechanism. Such mechanisms and friction units include elements of pumping and compressor equipment used in the oilfield industry (shut-off valves, parts of centrifugal, vane, slide, gear and other pumps, some threaded connections). In this situation, the coupled friction surfaces are constantly lubricated by the working medium (water, oil, water-oil emulsions).

Tribotechnical tests were carried out on a laboratory installation, the friction unit of which consisted of a rotating roller made of aluminum alloy of the AMg6 brand and a tape made of aluminum foil of the AD1 brand with a thickness of 100 microns sliding along it. An oxide-ceramic coating was applied to both parts by microarc oxidation. A solution containing sodium liquid glass in the amount of 13 g/l and potassium hydroxide in the amount of 2.5 g/l was used as the electrolyte. The oxidation process was carried out in a symmetrical anode-cathode mode using industrial alternating current with a frequency of 50 Hz at a constant current density of 6 A/dm² to a final voltage of 400 V.

Laboratory tests have shown that aluminum alloy parts with an oxide-ceramic coating can be successfully used in friction units characterized by low contact pressures and sliding speeds. At the same time, the very high corrosion resistance of oxide-ceramic coatings protects friction units from the effects of aggressive me-dia (reservoir water with increased mineralization, water-oil emulsions containing hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide), as well as from abrasive particles always present in the extracted and accompanying fluids. The use of aluminum alloys in friction units with a surface hardened by microarc oxidation will reduce the weight of pumping and compressor equipment, for example, submersible multistage pumping units, which reduces the cost of lifting operations, and will also improve the operational reliability and durability of oilfield pumping and compressor equipment.

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