# US 10,369,724 B2 · Method of making spheroidal particles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,724 B2 - Document ID: US10369724B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/946,026 - Filed: 2015-11-19 - Published: 2017-05-25 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-19 - Assignees: Schlumberger Technology Corporation - Applicants: Schlumberger Technology Corporation - Inventors: Jose Alberto Ortega Andrade; Jiangshui Huang; Bernhard Rudolf Lungwitz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369724B2 ## CPC - B29B 9/16: Auxiliary treatment of granules - B01J 2/06: in a liquid medium - B01J 2/08: Gelation of a colloidal solution - B01J 2/18: using a vibrating apparatus - E21B 43/267: reinforcing fractures by propping - B29L 2031/7734: {Spherical (balls B29L2031/54; globes B29L2022/002)} - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A method for forming spheroidal particles including inducing flow of a slurry of particles and a reactant through one or more orifices, detaching an amount of the slurry from the slurry flow following exit from the one or more orifices, the detached amount forming a slurry body, forming the slurry body into a spheroidal shape, contacting the spheroidally shaped slurry body with a coagulation solution to form a stabilized spheroidal particle and drying and/or sintering the stabilized spheroidal particle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: inducing flow of a slurry of treatment fluid comprised of particles and a reactant through one or more orifices of a container that received the slurry; applying vibration to the one or more orifices to detach an amount of the slurry from the slurry flow exiting the one or more orifices, the detached amount forming a slurry body having a spheroidal shape; contacting the spheroidally shaped slurry body with a coagulation solution to form a stabilized oblate or prolate spheroidal particle in a solid or a semi-solid form, wherein a slurry viscosity is adjusted to form the oblate or prolate spheroidal particle; and drying and/or sintering the stabilized oblate spheroidal particle to form an anti-flowback additive. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the inducing flow of the slurry is performed by applying a load to a piston in a container housing the slurry to force the slurry through the one or more orifices associated with an exit of the container, increasing pressure in the container housing the slurry to force the slurry through the one or more orifices associated with an exit of the container, decreasing a volume of the container housing the slurry to force the slurry through the one or more orifices associated with an exit of the container, or pumping the slurry from the container housing the slurry to force the slurry through the one or more orifices associated with an exit of the container. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises forming the slurry prior to inducing flow of the slurry by mixing the reactant and the particle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the detaching comprises controlling a flow rate of the slurry to permit the detaching to occur as a result of a weight of the amount of the slurry exited from the one or more orifices. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the particle is an alumina-containing particle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the reactant is an alginate and the coagulation solution comprises a calcium salt. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more orifices comprise one or more nozzles or one or more openings of a membrane. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the oblate spheroidal particle has an average aspect ratio of 0.91 or less. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the oblate spheroidal particle has an average aspect ratio of 0.8 or less. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the prolate spheroidal particle has an average aspect ratio of 1.1 or more. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the prolate spheroidal particle has an average aspect ratio of 1.4 or more. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the oblate or prolate spheroidal particle is further controlled by a flow rate of the slurry through the one or more orifices and a distance between the one or more orifices and the coagulation solution. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein a shape of the oblate or prolate spheroidal particle is further controlled by the vibration energy used to sever the slurry body. ### Claim 14 A method, comprising: inducing flow of a slurry comprised of particles and a reactant through an orifice of a container that received the slurry; applying vibration to the orifice to detach an amount of the slurry from the slurry flow exiting the orifice, the detached amount forming a slurry body having a spheroidal shape; contacting the spheroidal shaped slurry body with the coagulation solution to form an oblate or prolate spheroidal particle, wherein a slurry viscosity is adjusted to form the oblate or prolate spheroidal particle; adding a plurality of the oblate or prolate spheroidal particles to a carrier solvent, thereby forming a treatment fluid; and using the plurality of the oblate or prolate spheroidal particles as an anti-flowback additive. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the treatment fluid further comprises fibers.