Thermal insulating fluids

摘要

Aqueous and substantially anhydrous fluids having particularly low thermal conductivities and variable densities are disclosed. The fluids include: one or more organic and/or inorganic salts and at least one aprotic polar organic solvent, a mixture of aprotic and protic polar organic solvents, and/or a polar organic solvent having both protic and aprotic polar functional group linkages. The fluids optionally include one or more viscosifying agents and are free of cross-linking agents. Methods for formulating and using the fluids are also disclosed.

主权项

1. A fluid formulated to have low thermal conductivity, the fluid comprising a mixture of:
one or more salts selected from the group consisting of: an inorganic salt, an organic salt, and mixtures thereof; a mixture of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and ethylene glycol, wherein NMP comprises about 20% to about 80% of the mixture of NMP and ethylene glycol such that the ratio of the by concentration of NMP to the concentration of ethylene glycol in the mixture is in the range of about 1:4 to about 4:1 in order to lower the thermal conductivity of the mixture; and one or more viscosifying agents, the one or more salts is added in an amount sufficient to maintain the density of the fluid between about 9.0 lb/gal to about 18.0 lb/gal, wherein the fluid is without an amine solvent, and wherein the fluid is substantially anhydrous.