Patent ID: 8240383

Claim:
A method comprising: making precured free flowing coated particles having a particle size range of about 6 mesh to about 200 mesh, consisting essentially of a particulate substrate having a particle size range of about 6 mesh to about 200 mesh selected from the group consisting of sand and a sintered ceramic particle and a single layer of precured coating disposed upon the substrate, the coating consisting essentially of a continuous phase comprising curable resin in the absence of solid particles in the coating, comprising the steps of: mixing at a temperature in the range from about 50° F. to about 150° F. the substrate with liquid coating material to form curable coated particles consisting essentially of the substrate and a single layer of continuous phase resin curable coating on the substrate, said liquid coating material comprising at least one curable resin selected from the group consisting of: epoxy, urethane acrylate, epoxy (meth)acrylate, epoxy-modified novolak resins, resole resins, modified resole resins, terpolymers of phenol, furfuryl alcohol and formaldehyde, furans, urethanes, melamines, and unsaturated polyesters, and blends or copolymers thereof; curing the resin on the curable coated particles to form precured coated particles, wherein the curing comprises exposing the curable coated particles to ultraviolet light or electron beam; wherein a photoinitiator is added to the resin prior to curing if the resin is to be cured with UV light and wherein a photoinitiator is optionally added to the resin prior to curing if the resin is to be cured with electron beam; wherein the substrate is at a temperature of about 50° F. to about 150° F. when initially mixed with the resin, wherein the curing occurs before the resulting precured coated particles are placed into a subterranean formation, the resin being present in an amount of at most 5% weight percent of the coated particle, wherein the precured coated particle has a crush strength of less than 20% crush at 10,000 psi.