US Patent 10309183 Internally degradable plugs for downhole use

Plugs for deployment downhole include a body composed of a first material and include an activating element disposed internally in the body. The activating element has an agent configured to degrade the body. However, the agent is kept from degrading the body until occurrence of an activating trigger. The activating element can include a shell enclosing the agent therein and keeping the agent from reacting with the body's material. The shell can be composed of a breachable material that is breached to allow the agent to react with the first material. To breach the shell, the activating element can further include a breaching element that breaches the shell in response to the activating trigger.