Treatment of melt quenched aluminosilicate glass spheres for application as proppants via devitrification processes
US8359886B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 3, 2009 |
| Grant date | Jan 29, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 6, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/2982
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A process for increasing toughness of glass particulates is provided. The process includes providing an aluminosilicate glass particulate, the glass particulate generally having the form of a sphere, and heating the glass particulate to a temperature greater than 600° C. for a predetermined time. Thereafter, the glass particulate can be cooled to ambient temperature and the heating step can alter the failure mechanism of the glass particulate from a high energy failure that produces generally fine powder to a lower energy failure that produces generally large fragments. The glass particulate can be an amorphous glass particulate and may or may not have a nominal composition that corresponds to rhyolite, basalt, tholeiite, olivine and/or andesite.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.