Patent ID: 9297244
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: B01J,C09K,E21B,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A modified proppant, comprising a proppant particle substrate and a coating of a hydrogel-forming polymer, wherein the coating localizes on the surface of the proppant particle substrate to produce the modified proppant; wherein the proppant particle substrate comprises sand; wherein the coating comprises a hydrogel-forming polymer having a weight average molecular weight of ≧about 1 million g/mol, wherein the hydrogel-forming polymer comprises polyacrylamide; and wherein the modified proppant is made by an invert emulsion coating technique in which the proppant particle substrate is combined with an invert emulsion in which the oil phase forms the continuous phase of the emulsion and a solution or dispersion of the hydrogel-forming polymer in water forms the discontinuous, emulsified phase; wherein the hydrogel-forming polymer forms a substantially continuous film on the surface of the proppant particle which is crosslinked.