Abstract: Methods for manufacturing electrically-conductive proppant particles are disclosed. The methods can include preparing a slurry containing water, a binder, and a raw material having an alumina content, atomizing the slurry into droplets, and coating seeds containing alumina with the droplets to form a plurality of green pellets. The green pellets can be contacted with an activation solution containing at least one catalytically active material to provide activated green pellets including the at least one catalytically active material. The method can include sintering the activated green pellets to provide a plurality of proppant particles. The plurality of proppant particles can be contacted with a plating solution containing one or more electrically-conductive material to provide electrically-conductive proppant particles.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing electrically-conductive proppant particles are disclosed. The methods can include preparing a slurry containing water, a binder, and a raw material having an alumina content, atomizing the slurry into droplets, and coating seeds containing alumina with the droplets to form a plurality of green pellets. The green pellets can be contacted with an activation solution containing at least one catalytically active material to provide activated green pellets including the at least one catalytically active material. The method can include sintering the activated green pellets to provide a plurality of proppant particles. The plurality of proppant particles can be contacted with a plating solution containing one or more electrically-conductive material to provide electrically-conductive proppant particles.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing electrically-conductive proppant particles are disclosed. The methods can include preparing a slurry containing water, a binder, and a raw material having an alumina content, atomizing the slurry into droplets, and coating seeds containing alumina with the droplets to form a plurality of green pellets. The green pellets can be contacted with an activation solution containing at least one catalytically active material to provide activated green pellets including the at least one catalytically active material. The method can include sintering the activated green pellets to provide a plurality of proppant particles. The plurality of proppant particles can be contacted with a plating solution containing one or more electrically-conductive material to provide electrically-conductive proppant particles.