Corrosion evaluation of packer rubber materials in CO2 injection wells under supercritical conditions

Performances of rubber materials have direct relationship with the sealing function of packers. CO2 corrosion on rubber materials can cause sealing failure accidents and induce sustained casing pressure, thus affecting safety production of the injection wells in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations. Corrosion experiments were conducted on three kinds of rubber materials under simulated environments, comparisons were made on the mechanical performances and morphology of the rubber materials before and after corrosion. Results showed that the tensile properties decrease significantly and the hardness was also reduced after corrosion. The corrosion in the liquid phase environment was much more severe than that in the gaseous phase environment. Effects of actual conditions on the mechanical performances of rubber materials should be considered when making engineering design. The research results can provide references for the selection of rubber materials in CO2 injection wells.