# US 2018/0022987 A1 · Method of making rod-shaped particles for use as proppant and anti-flowback additive > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0022987 A1 - Document ID: US20180022987A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/217,078 - Filed: 2016-07-22 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Schlumberger Technology Corporation - Applicants: Schlumberger Technology Corporation - Inventors: Jose Alberto Ortega Andrade; Jiangshui Huang; Bernhard R. Lungwitz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022987A1 ## CPC - C09K 8/80: Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open - C04B 35/1115: {Minute sintered entities, e.g. sintered abrasive grains or shaped particles such as platelets (abrasives C09K3/14)} - C04B 35/622: Forming processes; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products - C09K 8/92: characterised by their form or by the form of their components, e.g. encapsulated material (C09K8/70 takes precedence) - C04B 2235/444: Halide containing anions, e.g. bromide, iodate, chlorite - C04B 2235/449: Organic acids, e.g. EDTA, citrate, acetate, oxalate - C04B 2235/6023: Gel casting - C04B 2235/94: Products characterised by their shape - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE ## Abstract A method for forming rod-shaped particles includes reducing a length of rods derived from a slurry made up of particles and a reactant, wherein the rods are in a stabilized state in which the reactant has been at least partially reacted with a coagulant, but the rods have not been sintered, and subsequently sintering the reduced length stabilized rods. The reducing the length of the stabilized rods includes subjecting the stabilized rods to mechanical vibration applied by a device, or feeding the stabilized rods through a device having a rotating cutting mechanism. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for forming rod-shaped particles comprising: reducing a length of rods derived from a slurry comprised of particles and a reactant, wherein the rods are in a stabilized state in which the reactant has been at least partially reacted with a coagulant, but the rods have not been sintered; and subsequently sintering the reduced length stabilized rods. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the reducing the length of the stabilized rods comprises subjecting the stabilized rods to mechanical vibration applied by a device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the mechanical vibration is applied by a device comprising a vessel, wherein the stabilized rods are loaded into the vessel and vibrational energy is applied to the loaded vessel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the vessel includes a plurality of protuberances along one or more interior walls of the vessel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the vessel includes one or more bars extending from at least one interior wall of the vessel and extending partially or fully across an interior of the vessel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the vessel includes one or more sieves through which the reduced length stabilized rods can pass when the stabilized rods have a desired reduced length. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the reducing the length of the stabilized rods comprises feeding the stabilized rods through a device having a rotating cutting mechanism. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the stabilized rods are dropped vertically through the device and encounter the rotating cutting mechanism as the stabilized rods fall through the device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the rotating cutting mechanism comprises one or more bars extending from a rotating spine. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the particles are ceramic particles. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the reactant is an alginate and the coagulant comprises a calcium salt. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the reduced length rod-shaped particles have an average length of 0.1 mm to 5 cm, an average diameter of 0.2 mm to 1 cm and an average length to diameter of at least 2:1. ### Claim 13 A method for forming rod-shaped particles comprising: inducing flow of a slurry comprised of particles and a reactant through one or more orifices and into a coagulation solution, wherein the slurry exiting the one or more orifices is a continuous uninterrupted stream until rods of a desired length are formed; at least partially coagulating the reactant of the rods in the coagulation solution to form stabilized rods; reducing a length of the stabilized rods by subjecting the stabilized rods to mechanical vibration applied by a device or by feeding the stabilized rods through a device having a rotating cutting mechanism; and subsequently sintering the reduced length stabilized rods. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the mechanical vibration for reducing the length of the stabilized rods is applied by a device comprising a vessel, wherein the stabilized rods are loaded into the vessel and vibrational energy is applied to the loaded vessel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the vessel includes a plurality of protuberances along one or more interior walls of the vessel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the vessel includes one or more bars extending from at least one interior wall of the vessel and extending partially or fully across an interior of the vessel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the vessel includes one or more sieves through which the reduced length stabilized rods can pass when the stabilized rods have a desired reduced length. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the stabilized rods are dropped vertically through the device having the rotating cutting mechanism and encounter the rotating cutting mechanism as the stabilized rods fall through the device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the rotating cutting mechanism comprises one or more bars extending from a rotating spine. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the particles are ceramic particles. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the reactant is an alginate and the coagulation solution comprises a calcium salt. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the reduced length rod-shaped particles have an average length of 0.1 mm to 5 cm, an average diameter of 0.2 mm to 1 cm and an average length to diameter of at least 2:1. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the one or more orifices have a geometrical shape and impart a corresponding geometrical cross-section to the rod-shaped particles. ### Claim 24 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises applying an intermittent vibration to the one or more orifices to thereby vary a cross-sectional diameter of the continuous uninterrupted stream exiting the one or more orifices.