Methods of Making Proppant Particles from Slurry Droplets and Methods of Use

• Main Authors: Gardinier Clayton F, Duenckel Robert, Roper Todd, Wilson Brett A, Eldred Benjamin T
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 15.09.2016
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; CHEMISTRY; DYES; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; METALLURGY; MINING; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; NATURAL RESINS; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PAINTS; POLISHES

A method for making proppant particles is provided. The method can include providing a slurry of ceramic raw material, the slurry containing a reactant including a polycarboxylic acid, and flowing the slurry through a nozzle in a gas while vibrating the slurry to form droplets. The method can also include receiving the droplets in a vessel containing a liquid having an upper surface in direct contact with the gas, the liquid containing a coagulation agent. The method can further include reacting the reactant with the coagulation agent to cause coagulation of the reactant in the droplets. The droplets can then be transferred from the liquid and dried to form green pellets. The method can include sintering the green pellets in a selected temperature range to form the proppant particles. In one or more exemplary embodiments, the reactant can be or include a PMA:PAA copolymer.