Process and apparatus for refining sand
AssigneeCDE Global Limited
InventorsAnthony Convery, Glenn Sloan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for refining sand for use as frac sand includes the steps of passing the sand through a first fines separation stage to remove fine particles of contaminant from the sand, reducing the water content of the sand (such as to less than 20%), passing the sand into an attrition scrubber unit containing moving blades to delaminate clay and other contaminants from the sand grains, passing the sand from the attrition scrubber unit through a second fines separation stage to separate fine contaminants from the sand, and dewatering the resulting sand product in a further dewatering stage.
Claims27
A process for refining sand for use as frac sand, the method comprising the steps of:
- passing the sand through a first fines separation stage to remove fine particles of contaminant from the sand;
- reducing the water content of the sand to less than 20%;
- passing the sand into an attrition scrubber unit containing moving blades to delaminate clay and other contaminants from the sand;
- passing the sand from the attrition scrubber unit through a second fines separation stage to separate fine contaminants from the sand;
- and
- dewatering the resulting sand product in a further dewatering stage.
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An apparatus for refining sand for use as frac sand, said apparatus comprising:
- an elongate chassis;
- a grading screen operable to separate fine material from the sand;
- a first fines separating device mounted on the chassis adjacent to and downstream of the grading screen;
- a first dewatering screen mounted on the chassis adjacent to and downstream of the first fines separating device and configured to receive sand therefrom;
- an attrition scrubber unit mounted on the chassis adjacent to and downstream of the first dewatering screen, the attrition scrubber unit configured to receive sand from the first dewatering screen, the attrition scrubber unit containing a plurality of moving blades adapted to delaminate clay and other contaminants from the sand as the sand passes through the attrition scrubber unit;
- a second fines separating device;
- and
- a second dewatering screen provided on a second end of the chassis, opposite a first end thereof, for receiving the sand from the second fines separating device and operable to dewater the sand product.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.