# US 8,772,207 B2 · Spherical pellets containing common clay particulate material useful as a proppant in hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,772,207 B2 - Document ID: US8772207B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/924,049 - Filed: 2013-06-21 - Published: 2013-12-26 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2012-06-26 - Assignees: Brownwood Clay Holdings, LLC - Applicants: Brownwood Clay Holdings, LLC - Inventors: Bryan Dell Geary; David Glenn Hall; Carlton Frazier Sorrell; Gary J. Davis; Richard F. Watkins - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8772207B2 ## CPC - C09K 8/80: Compositions for reinforcing fractures, e.g. compositions of proppants used to keep the fractures open - C04B 33/04: Clay; Kaolin - C04B 33/13: Compounding ingredients (C04B33/36, C04B35/71 take precedence {; pigments for ceramics C09C1/0009}) - C04B 35/10: based on aluminium oxide - C04B 35/18: rich in aluminium oxide - C04B 35/62635: {Mixing details} - C04B 35/62695: {Granulation or pelletising (devices for shaping artificial aggregates from ceramic mixtures B28B1/004)} - C04B 2235/3217: Aluminum oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. bauxite, alpha-alumina - C04B 2235/3463: Alumino-silicates other than clay, e.g. mullite - C04B 2235/349: Clays, e.g. bentonites, smectites such as montmorillonite, vermiculites or kaolines, e.g. illite, talc or sepiolite - C04B 2235/528: Spheres - C04B 2235/5463: Particle size distributions - C04B 2235/606: Drying - C04B 2235/77: Density - C04B 2235/94: Products characterised by their shape - C04B 2235/96: Properties of ceramic products, e.g. mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, wear resistance - C09K 2208/00: Aspects relating to compositions of drilling or well treatment fluids - 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 ceramic propping agent, in the form of a spherical pellet, and containing common mineral particulate. The desired propping agent is defined as a particulate ceramic made from raw materials which may be comprised of about: 10%-90% parts by weight of a naturally occurring mineral particulate, 30%-70% parts by weight aluminosilicate network modifier, 0.25-20% parts by weight strength enhancer, and at least one part, typically less than 10% by weight, binder. For use in oil and/or natural gas wells as a hydraulic fracturing proppant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ceramic propping agent comprising: a plastic clay comprising a plurality of layers having a thickness of five feet or less, wherein the plastic clay further comprises: from 7% to 25% alumina by weight, from 60% to 90% silica by weight, and 45% or less quartz by weight; an aluminosilicate network modifier selected from the group consisting of: kaolin, metakaolin, bauxite, bauxitic clays, aluminum oxide, metal oxides, or combinations thereof; a strength enhancing and flux agent comprising nepheline materials, wherein the nepheline materials comprise from 0.1 percent to 5 percent iron oxide by weight; and a binder selected from the group consisting of: cornstarch, polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose gum, bentonite, sodium silicate, vegetable starches, sodium lignosulphonate, and combinations thereof, wherein said plastic clay comprises from 38% to 90% of the ceramic propping agent by weight, wherein said aluminosilicate network modifier comprises from 30% to 70% of the ceramic propping agent by weight, wherein said strength enhancing and flux agent comprises from 0.25% to 20% of the ceramic propping agent by weight, and wherein said binder comprises 10% or less of the ceramic propping agent by weight. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ceramic propping agent of claim 1, wherein said plastic clay comprises a clay that is not part of the following clays: a kaolin group; a smectite group; a montmorillonite-smectite group; or chlorite group. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ceramic propping agent of claim 1, wherein said aluminosilicate network modifier, said plastic clay, or combinations thereof is un-calcined, partially calcined, or calcined in form. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ceramic propping agent of claim 1, wherein said plastic clay comprises 38-80% of said ceramic propping agent by weight. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The ceramic propping agent of claim 4, wherein said plastic clay comprises 38-56% of said ceramic propping agent by weight. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The ceramic propping agent of claim 4, wherein said plastic clay comprises 56-80% of said ceramic propping agent by weight. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ceramic propping agent of claim 1, wherein the plastic clay and the aluminosilicate network modifier comprise intermixed particles. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The ceramic propping agent of claim 7, wherein the intermixed particles comprise a size less than or equal to 45 microns. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The ceramic propping agent of claim 8, wherein the intermixed particles comprise a size less than or equal to 10 microns. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The ceramic propping agent of claim 7, wherein particles of the plastic clay and particles of the aluminosilicate network modifier comprise a same approximate particle size. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The ceramic propping agent of claim 1, further comprising a resin coating adapted to encapsulate particles of the ceramic propping agent. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The ceramic propping agent of claim 1, further comprising a shale of which said plastic clay is a component thereof. ### Claim 13 A ceramic propping agent comprising: a plastic clay comprising a plurality of layers having a thickness of five feet or less, wherein the plastic clay further comprises: from 7% to 25% alumina by weight, from 60% to 90% silica by weight, and 45% or less quartz by weight; an aluminosilicate network modifier selected from the group consisting of: kaolin, metakaolin, bauxite, bauxitic clays, aluminum oxide, metal oxides, or combinations thereof; a strength enhancing and flux agent comprising nepheline materials comprising from 0.1 percent to 5 percent iron oxide by weight; and a binder selected from the group consisting of: cornstarch, polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose gum, bentonite, sodium silicate, vegetable starches, sodium lignosulphonate, and combinations thereof, wherein said plastic clay comprises from 38% to 90% of the ceramic propping agent by weight. ### Claim 14 A ceramic propping agent comprising: a plastic clay comprising a plurality of layers having a thickness of five feet or less, wherein the plastic clay further comprises: from 7% to 25% alumina by weight, from 60% to 90% silica by weight, and 45% or less quartz by weight; an aluminosilicate network modifier selected from the group consisting of: kaolin, metakaolin, bauxite, bauxitic clays, aluminum oxide, metal oxides, or combinations thereof; a strength enhancing and flux agent comprising nepheline materials, metal oxides, or combinations thereof; and a binder selected from the group consisting of: cornstarch, polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose gum, bentonite, sodium silicate, vegetable starches, sodium lignosulphonate, and combinations thereof, wherein said plastic clay comprises from 38% to 90% of the ceramic propping agent by weight, and wherein the ceramic propping agent further comprises a resin coating adapted to encapsulate particles of the ceramic propping agent.