Patent ID: 9481824
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: B07B,C09K,E02D,E21B,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A process for producing a proppant comprising: prescreening an approximately dry feed stock formed of feed stock particles comprising a naturally occurring sand suitable for use as a frac sand so as to capture a predetermined size grade range of feed stock particles; feeding said predetermined size grade range of feed stock particles into a separator assembly, the separator assembly having an entry end and a plurality of flights helically nested about a core member; distributing the predetermined size grade range of feed stock particles from the entry end onto at least one of the plurality of flights; wherein the predetermined size grade range of feed stock particles travels along any one or more of the flights from the plurality of flights, moving helically about the core member; and wherein feed stock particles of relatively greater roundness and/or sphericity travel towards a distal end of the any one or more of the flights from the plurality of flights, exit the any one or more of the flights radially, and are collected by a first collection portion while remaining feed stock particles of relatively lower roundness and/or sphericity remain on the any one or more of the flights in proximity to a proximal end of the any one or more of the flights and are collected by a second collection portion, such that the feed stock is separated into two fractions of feed stock particles comprising a first fraction of feed stock particles having a mean and/or median quality for use as a proppant which quality is greater than the quality of the predetermined size grade range of feed stock particles, and a second fraction of feed stock particles having a mean and/or median quality for use as a proppant which quality is less than the quality of the predetermined size grade range of feed stock particles, and wherein the mean and/or median quality of the first fraction is greater than the mean and/or median quality of the second fraction.