Hollow proppants and a process for their manufacture
Abstract
Hollow, fine-grained ceramic proppants are less expensive and improve fracture control when compared to conventional proppants (dense alumina, mullite, bauxite, zirconia, etc.). Hollow proppants of the present invention have been fabricated by spray drying, followed by sintering in order to obtain a dense case and a hollow core. These proppants generally have high sphericity and roundness (Krumbein sphericity and roundness greater than 0.8), have diameters on average between 2250 and 125 .mu.m, depending on proppant size required, and have strength equal to or greater than that of sand. The hollow core, the size of which can be controlled, permits better fracture control in hydraulic fracturing treatments since the proppant can be transported in lower viscosity fluids. Hollow proppants produced at the same cost/weight as conventional proppants also provide for lower costs, since less weight is required to fill the same volume. The fine-grained (preferably less than 5 .mu.m in diameter) ceramic case provides the strength necessary to withstand closure stresses and prevent crushing.
- Inventors:
-
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Terra Tek Inc
- OSTI Identifier:
- 865638
- Patent Number(s):
- 4547468
- Assignee:
- Terra Tek, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C04 - CEMENTS C04B - LIME, MAGNESIA
C - CHEMISTRY C09 - DYES C09K - MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC19-79BC10038
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- hollow; proppants; process; manufacture; fine-grained; ceramic; expensive; improve; fracture; control; compared; conventional; dense; alumina; mullite; bauxite; zirconia; etc; fabricated; spray; drying; followed; sintering; obtain; core; sphericity; roundness; krumbein; diameters; average; 2250; 125; depending; proppant; size; required; strength; equal; sand; controlled; permits; hydraulic; fracturing; treatments; transported; viscosity; fluids; produced; cost; weight; provide; costs; fill; volume; preferably; diameter; provides; withstand; closure; stresses; prevent; crushing; spray drying; hydraulic fracturing; hollow core; hollow proppants; /501/166/
Citation Formats
Jones, Arfon H, and Cutler, Raymond A. Hollow proppants and a process for their manufacture. United States: N. p., 1985.
Web.
Jones, Arfon H, & Cutler, Raymond A. Hollow proppants and a process for their manufacture. United States.
Jones, Arfon H, and Cutler, Raymond A. Tue .
"Hollow proppants and a process for their manufacture". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/865638.
@article{osti_865638,
title = {Hollow proppants and a process for their manufacture},
author = {Jones, Arfon H and Cutler, Raymond A},
abstractNote = {Hollow, fine-grained ceramic proppants are less expensive and improve fracture control when compared to conventional proppants (dense alumina, mullite, bauxite, zirconia, etc.). Hollow proppants of the present invention have been fabricated by spray drying, followed by sintering in order to obtain a dense case and a hollow core. These proppants generally have high sphericity and roundness (Krumbein sphericity and roundness greater than 0.8), have diameters on average between 2250 and 125 .mu.m, depending on proppant size required, and have strength equal to or greater than that of sand. The hollow core, the size of which can be controlled, permits better fracture control in hydraulic fracturing treatments since the proppant can be transported in lower viscosity fluids. Hollow proppants produced at the same cost/weight as conventional proppants also provide for lower costs, since less weight is required to fill the same volume. The fine-grained (preferably less than 5 .mu.m in diameter) ceramic case provides the strength necessary to withstand closure stresses and prevent crushing.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1985},
month = {1}
}