Methods of making proppant particles from slurry droplets and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10077398-B2
Application number	US-201615066936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Mar 13, 2015
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for making proppant particles, comprising:
providing a slurry of ceramic raw material, the slurry containing a reactant comprising a polycarboxylic acid;
flowing the slurry through a nozzle in a gas while vibrating the slurry to form droplets;
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;
reacting the reactant with the coagulation agent to cause coagulation of the reactant in the droplets;
transferring the droplets from the liquid;
drying the droplets to form green pellets; and
sintering the green pellets in a selected temperature range to form the proppant particles.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactant comprises PMA, PAA, or a copolymer thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the reactant comprises a PMA:PAA copolymer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the reactant further comprises a polysaccharide.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the polysaccharide is an alginate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coagulation agent comprises one or more salts of calcium, magnesium, strontium, aluminum, or iron.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the coagulation agent is calcium chloride.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the slurry is vibrated as it flows from the nozzle by vibrating the nozzle and wherein the slurry flows from the nozzle at a rate of about 1 to about 15 kg/(mm 2 ×hr).

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the ceramic raw material is selected from the group consisting of bauxite, kaolin, and alumina, and mixtures thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic raw material comprises alumina.

11. A method for making proppant particles, comprising:
providing a slurry comprising kaolin, the slurry containing a reactant comprising PMA, PAA, or a copolymer thereof;
flowing the slurry through a nozzle in a gas while vibrating the slurry to form droplets;
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;
reacting the reactant with the coagulation agent to cause coagulation of the reactant in the droplets;
transferring the droplets from the liquid;
drying the droplets to form green pellets; and
sintering the green pellets in a selected temperature range to form the proppant particles.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reactant comprises a PMA:PAA copolymer.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the coagulation agent comprises one or more salts of calcium, magnesium, strontium, aluminum, or iron.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the coagulation agent is calcium chloride.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the slurry is vibrated as it flows from the nozzle by vibrating the nozzle and wherein the slurry flows from the nozzle at a rate of about 1 to about 15 kg/(mm 2 ×hr).

16. A method for making proppant particles, comprising:
providing a slurry comprising bauxite, the slurry containing a reactant comprising PMA, PAA, or a copolymer thereof;
flowing the slurry through a nozzle in a gas while vibrating the slurry to form droplets;
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;
reacting the reactant with the coagulation agent to cause coagulation of the reactant in the droplets;
transferring the droplets from the liquid;
drying the droplets to form green pellets; and

sintering the green pellets in a selected temperature range to form the proppant particles.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the reactant comprises a PMA:PAA copolymer.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the coagulation agent comprises one or more salts of calcium, magnesium, strontium, aluminum, or iron.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the coagulation agent is calcium chloride.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the slurry is vibrated as it flows from the nozzle by vibrating the nozzle and wherein the slurry flows from the nozzle at a rate of about 1 to about 15 kg/(mm 2 ×hr).

Assignees

• Carbo Ceramics Inc

Inventors

• Eldred Benjamin T
• Wilson Brett A
• Gardinier Clayton F
• Duenckel Robert
• Roper Todd

Classifications

• C04B2235/444

  Halide containing anions, e.g. bromide, iodate, chlorite · CPC title

• C04B2235/349

  Clays, e.g. bentonites, smectites such as montmorillonite, vermiculites or kaolines, e.g. illite, talc or sepiolite · CPC title

• C04B2235/3272

  Iron oxides or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. hematite, magnetite · CPC title

• C04B2235/3217

  Aluminum oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. bauxite, alpha-alumina · CPC title

• C04B35/636

  Polysaccharides or derivatives thereof · CPC title