Ceramic Proppant Pre-Firing Reducing Atmosphere
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ceramic proppant production methods face challenges in achieving high durability, permeability, hydrothermal stability, and acid resistance, particularly due to issues with sintering range and phase transformations, leading to reduced mechanical characteristics and increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving pre-firing magnesium-containing materials in a reducing atmosphere, followed by grinding and firing in an oxidizing atmosphere, to produce ceramic proppants with enhanced enstatite and magnesioferrite content, resulting in improved durability and permeability while reducing bulk density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If forsterite-based ceramic proppants are produced by conventional sintering methods, then production is economically efficient, but hydrothermal stability and mechanical durability are significantly reduced due to partial hydration of forsterite
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-sintering the magnesium-silicate charge material before granulation and final firing. This pre-sintering step transforms the charge material in advance to prevent forsterite hydration during subsequent hydrothermal conditions, thereby resolving the contradiction between hydrothermal stability and production complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sintering temperature parameter to a specific range of 1450-1550°C, which is higher than conventional methods. This parameter change ensures complete transformation of the charge material and prevents forsterite formation that would otherwise hydrate under hydrothermal conditions, thus improving reliability while maintaining manufacturability
2Manufacturing precision
If magnesium metasilicate-based proppants are produced with narrow sintering range (10-20°C), then specific phase composition is achieved, but production becomes difficult and expensive with underburned or overburned particles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the sintering temperature parameter from the conventional narrow range (10-20°C) to a broader range of 1450-1550°C. This parameter change eliminates the problem of underburned or overburned particles while achieving the desired enstatite (50-70%) and magnesioferrite (3-8%) phase composition, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary sintering of the charge material before granulation, which pre-transforms the material structure. This preliminary action reduces the sensitivity to sintering temperature variations during final firing, making the production process more robust and less difficult
3Use of energy by moving object
If standard curing time is used at sintering temperature, then energy consumption is moderate, but magnesium metasilicate crystals grow and phase transformations occur during cooling, reducing proppant quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the sintering temperature to a higher range (1450-1550°C) which fundamentally alters the phase transformation behavior during cooling. At these temperatures, enstatite and magnesioferrite form directly and stably, preventing unwanted phase transformations during cooling, thus improving proppant quality without requiring extended curing times
4Reliability
If conventional ceramic proppant materials are used, then production cost is lower, but durability and resistance to aggressive wellbore media are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite charge material consisting of magnesium-silicate material (45-70%) combined with auxiliary materials (30-55%), including iron-containing materials. This composite approach creates a synergistic effect where the specific phase composition (enstatite + magnesioferrite) achieves superior durability and chemical resistance while maintaining production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the charge material to achieve a specific phase distribution after sintering. By controlling the MgO-SiO2-Fe2O3 system composition and sintering at 1450-1550°C, the patent produces a material with enhanced durability and chemical resistance that is still economically viable
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method produces ceramic proppants with significantly higher durability, reduced bulk density, and improved hydrothermal stability, addressing the limitations of existing methods and achieving better performance characteristics at lower production costs.
Implementation Method 1
pre-firing magnesium-containing materials in a reducing atmosphere
Implementation Method 2
enhanced enstatite and magnesioferrite content
Implementation Method 3
firing in an oxidizing atmosphere
Implementation Method 4
firing in an oxidizing atmosphere
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a ceramic proppant, including a step for preparing an original charge material, involving the grinding of source materials, particularly magnesium-containing materials, and auxiliary materials, thus producing a charge material, granulating the charge material so as to produce granules of a proppant precursor, and firing the granules of proppant precursor, thus producing proppant granules, wherein the method includes a step for pre-firing the magnesium-containing material in a reducing atmosphere. The invention also relates to a ceramic proppant produced via the indicated method.