STRONG LOW DENSITY CERAMICS
First Claim
1. A ceramic proppant comprising a plurality of sintered spherical pellets, prepared from a precursor mixture comprising at least a first component selected from alumina, a mineral comprising aluminum oxide, an inorganic salt, a metallic oxide wherein the metal is not all aluminum, an impure alumina, and mixtures thereof, wherein if the first component comprises alumina or an inorganic salt it must comprise at least one other first component, and a second component comprising a boron source, wherein said proppant comprises at least a first phase selected from the group consisting of aluminum borates, aluminum boron silicates, and solid solutions of these with alumina and aluminum silicate, and a second phase.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A synthetic ceramic proppant composition contains an aluminate-borate phase or an aluminate-borate-silicate phase or both and at least one additional phase that adds strength and decreases apparent specific gravity and is formed because of the inclusion of certain inorganic salts and/or metallic oxides in the precursor mixture either as separate components or as impurities in the starting materials. Compositions, methods of manufacture, and uses are given.
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Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A ceramic proppant comprising a plurality of sintered spherical pellets, prepared from a precursor mixture comprising at least a first component selected from alumina, a mineral comprising aluminum oxide, an inorganic salt, a metallic oxide wherein the metal is not all aluminum, an impure alumina, and mixtures thereof, wherein if the first component comprises alumina or an inorganic salt it must comprise at least one other first component, and a second component comprising a boron source, wherein said proppant comprises at least a first phase selected from the group consisting of aluminum borates, aluminum boron silicates, and solid solutions of these with alumina and aluminum silicate, and a second phase.
Specification