Additive Fabrication of Proppants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016168453-A1
Application number	US-201414908708-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 12, 2014
Priority date	Aug 15, 2013
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Ceramic inks formulated for additive formation of proppants are provided, as well as methods of manufacturing such ink and ink systems including such ink. The proppant formed can contain a proppant core, a proppant shell, a proppant outer coating or any combination thereof. Additive methods for forming proppants are also provided. The ceramic ink can be applied drop-wise, linearly, in a planar fashion, or any combination thereof to form proppants. Additive fabricators configured to produce proppant are further provided, as are systems including the same and software for running the same.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A green body proppant comprising layers of at least one ceramic ink, wherein the ceramic ink comprises at least one ceramic material and at least one binding agent.

2 . The green body proppant of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic ink comprises a dispersion, suspension, solution, colloid, sol, gel, paste, powder, solid, a tape, a film, or any combination thereof.

3 . The green body proppant of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic material comprises a metal oxide, a metal oxide, a metal carbide, or any combination thereof.

4 . The green body proppant of claim 1 , wherein the binding agent comprises a polymerizable monomer, a polymer, a resin, a wax, or any combination thereof, wherein the ceramic ink comprises at least one solvent.

5 . (canceled)

6 . The green body proppant of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic ink further comprises a stabilizing agent, a polymerization initiator, a plasticizer, a dispersing agent, a viscosity agent, a tackifier, a metal hydride, or any combination thereof.

7 . The green body proppant of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ceramic material comprises at least 25 wt % of the total weight of the ceramic ink.

8 .- 11 . (canceled)

12 . The green body proppant of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ceramic ink comprises at least two ceramic inks differing in respect to chemical composition, at least one physical property, or both.

13 . (canceled)

14 . An additive method for forming proppants comprising:
applying at least one ceramic ink to a printer stage to form a green proppant; and sintering the green proppant to produce a proppant.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ceramic ink is applied drop-wise, linearly, in a planar fashion, or any combination thereof.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming at least one layer of the green proppant from the application of the at least one ceramic ink.

17 . (canceled)

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising curing the at least one layer after formation of the layer and before formation of a subsequent layer.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ceramic ink comprises at least one binding agent.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the at least one binding agent comprises at least one monomer and further comprises at least one polymerization initiator.

21 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising debindering the green proppant.

22 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising applying energy to the applied ceramic ink to generate polymerization.

23 .- 27 . (canceled)

28 . The method of claim 14 , wherein at least two ceramic inks differing from one another are applied.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the at least two ceramic inks comprise a first ink comprising ceramic material and a second ink comprising a binding agent, and the first ink is applied before applying the second ink.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the application of the first and second inks are repeated multiple times to form the green proppant.

31 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the at least two ceramic inks comprise a first ink comprising a first ceramic material and a second ink comprising a second ceramic material differing in chemical composition from the first ceramic material.

32 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the proppant comprises a proppant core, a proppant shell, a proppant outer coating or any combination thereof.

33 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the green proppant comprises a green proppant core, a green proppant shell, a green proppant outer coating, or any combination thereof.

34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the green proppant comprises the green proppant core, the at least one ceramic ink comprises a first ceramic ink, and the first ceramic ink is applied to form the proppant core.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the green proppant further comprises the green proppant shell, the at least one ceramic ink comprises a second ceramic ink, the second ceramic ink is applied to form the green proppant shell.

36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the green proppant further comprises the green proppant outer coating, the at least one ceramic ink comprises a third ceramic ink, and the third ceramic ink is used to form the green proppant outer coating.

37 . The method of claim 36 , wherein at least two of the three ceramic inks differ from each other in respect to chemical property and/or physical property.

38 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising at least one subtractive process, herein the subtractive process comprises milling, lathing, stamping, crushing, etching, carving, or any combination thereof.

39 .- 75 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Florio Steven
• Coker Christopher E

Classifications

• C04B2235/6026

  Computer aided shaping, e.g. rapid prototyping · CPC title

• C09K8/80 Primary

  Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open · CPC title

• C09D11/30

  Inkjet printing inks · CPC title

• C04B2235/665

  Local sintering, e.g. laser sintering · CPC title

• C09K8/805 Primary

  Coated proppants · CPC title