Surface polymerized proppants

Abstract

Coated particles include a particulate substrate, a surface copolymer layer surrounding the particulate substrate, and a resin layer surrounding the surface copolymer layer. The surface copolymer layer includes a copolymer of at least two monomers chosen from styrene, methyl methacrylate, ethylene, propylene, butylene, imides, urethanes, sulfones, carbonates, and acrylamides. The resin layer includes a cured resin. Methods of preparing the coated particles include preparing a first mixture including at least one polymerizable material, an initiator, and optionally a solvent; contacting the first mixture to a particulate substrate to form a polymerization mixture; heating the polymerization mixture to cure the polymerizable material and form a polymer-coated particulate; preparing a second mixture including the polymer-coated substrate, an uncured resin, and a solvent; and adding a curing agent to the second mixture to cure the uncured resin and form the coated particle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.