Patent ID: 8796187

Claim:
A composition comprising: a carrier fluid; a plurality of particulates, at least some of the particulates having a coating applied thereto that at least partially covers the particulates and impedes the intrusion of water into the particulates; and a silica scale control additive in the carrier fluid at a concentration between about 1 and 1000 parts per million by weight of the carrier fluid, wherein the silica scale control additive is capable of suppressing silica scale build-up proximate the plurality of particulates; wherein the coating is less than about 10 micrometers thick and comprises at least one hydrophobic substance selected from the group consisting of: a reaction product of a compound having a reactive silyl group, a silicon oxide anchor layer upon which a chloroalkylsilane is deposited, a hybrid organo-silicon oxide anchor layer upon which a chloroalkylsilane is deposited, a silicone, a siloxane, a diffusion barrier comprising a trimethylsilyl functional group, an organosiloxane, an organosilane, a fluoro-organosiloxane, a fluoro-organosilane, a polysiloxane, an organomodified polysiloxane, a di-betaine polysiloxane, a di-quaternary polysiloxane, a polymer of a fluoroalkyl-group containing silane compound, a dimer of a fluoroalkyl-group containing silane compound, a trimer of a fluoroalkyl-group containing silane compound, a polyamide, a silyl-modified polyamide, and copolymerized polyvinylidene chloride.