Patent ID: 9670401
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: C04B,C09K,F26B,H05B

Claim:
1. A method for forming sintered substantially round and spherical pellets, comprising: forming substantially round and spherical green pellets from raw materials comprising water and kaolin clay; and sintering the green pellets in a microwave furnace at a temperature of from about 1480° C. to about 1520° C. for a time at peak temperature of from about 20 to about 45 minutes, to form a proppant having a bulk density of from about 1.35 to about 1.60 g/cm wherein the proppant has a bulk density and a crush percent at 7500 psi that is less than that of proppant made from the green pellets and sintered in a gas-fired rotary kiln.