Coal Dust Ceramic Proppants via Pyrolysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Coal dust, due to its varying compositions and impurities, has not been considered a viable source for producing modern composite materials, despite its abundance and low cost, as it lacks consistency and mechanical properties comparable to engineered composite materials.
Innovation Solution
A composite proppant is created by mixing coal dust with a polymer-derived ceramic material, where the coal dust is pre-heated to drive off volatile organic compounds and water, resulting in a pyrolyzed mixture that forms ceramic beads with enhanced strength, toughness, and stiffness, overcoming the limitations of traditional proppants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If coal dust is used as a filler in composite materials, then cost is reduced and abundance is improved, but consistency and mechanical properties deteriorate due to varying compositions and impurities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by pre-heating coal dust to specific temperature ranges (200-400°C) to drive off volatile organic compounds and control moisture content. This thermal treatment standardizes the chemical composition and physical properties of coal dust particles, transforming variable raw material into a consistent composite filler with predictable performance characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action through pre-processing steps including drying, screening, and pre-heating of coal dust before incorporation into composites. These preparatory treatments remove impurities and standardize particle characteristics in advance, ensuring consistent results when the coal dust is used as a filler material.
2Ease of manufacture
If coal dust is used as a filler in composite materials, then cost is reduced, but mechanical properties and strength deteriorate compared to engineered composite materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes physical parameters of coal dust through controlled pre-heating to optimize its mechanical performance. By treating coal dust at specific temperatures (200-400°C) before composite formation, the material develops improved strength-to-weight ratio and mechanical properties while maintaining cost advantages over traditional engineered fillers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite materials by combining pre-treated coal dust with polymer matrices under controlled conditions. This composite approach allows the coal dust to achieve mechanical properties comparable to engineered materials while retaining the cost benefits of using abundant, low-cost coal-based fillers.
3Strength
If traditional proppant materials are used, then mechanical strength is achieved, but density is high and cost is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the particle size distribution and density of pre-heated coal dust particles. This allows optimization of the proppant's strength-to-weight ratio, achieving sufficient fracture strength to hold hydraulic fractures open while maintaining lower density for improved fluid suspension and reduced pumping requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by creating proppant particles with specific size ranges (0.2-2.0 mm) and controlled porosity characteristics. This localized optimization of particle properties ensures adequate mechanical strength at the particle level while maintaining overall low density for the proppant material.
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 resulting composite beads exhibit superior strength-to-weight ratio, toughness, and stiffness, meeting industry standards for proppants while being cost-effective, with densities and fracture strengths exceeding those of traditional materials, and are tailored to specific applications with controlled particle sizes and porosity.
Implementation Method 1
the coal dust is pre-heated to drive off volatile organic compounds and water, resulting in a pyrolyzed mixture that forms ceramic beads
Implementation Method 2
a polymer-derived ceramic material, where the coal dust is pre-heated to drive off volatile organic compounds and water, resulting in a pyrolyzed mixture that forms ceramic beads
Data Source
AI summary
A complex composite particle is made of a coal dust and binder composite that is pyrolyzed. Constituent portions of the composite react together causing the particles to increase in density and reduce in size during pyrolyzation, yielding a particle suitable for use as a proppant or in a composite structure.