Abstract: A proppant may include a sintered ceramic, wherein the sintered ceramic has a composition including an alumina (Al2O3) content ranging from about 60% to about 78% by weight, an iron oxide (Fe2O3) content ranging from about 5% to about 20% by weight, a silica (SiO2) content ranging from about 1% to about 10% by weight, a titania (TiO2) content ranging from about 2% to about 8% by weight, and a combined iron oxide and titania content of at least about 11% by weight. A proppant may include a sintered ceramic. The sintered ceramic may have a composition including a calcium oxide (CaO) content ranging from about 1% to about 5% by weight. A rod-shaped proppant may include a sintered ceramic having an aspect ratio ranging from about 1.5 to about 3, an apparent specific gravity ranging from about 2.0 to about 4.0, and a pack porosity of greater than 49%.

Abstract: A method of making a proppant may include adding a dry ceramic precursor to a granulator, adding a slurry to the granulator, granulating the dry ceramic precursor and the slurry to form densified granules, and firing the densified granules to form a ceramic proppant. The dry ceramic precursor may include an alumina- or aluminosilicate-containing material, such as, for example, at least one of kaolin, ball clay, bauxitic kaolin, smectite clay, bauxite, gibbsite, boehmite, metakaolin, or diaspora. The slurry may include a recycled proppant material, such as, a fired recycled proppant material or a green recycled proppant material.

Abstract: A method of making a proppant may include providing a feed material, extruding the feed material through a nozzle of a rotating body to form a green body, the nozzle being positioned between a plurality of projections and passing from an exterior of the rotating body to a core of the rotating body, and sintering the green body to form the proppant. The method may include drying the green body prior to the sintering. The extruding may be performed using a gear pelletizer. An feed material composition may include a ceramic precursor, a binder, a lubricant, and water. The ceramic precursor may include bauxite. The ceramic precursor may include bauxite and calcium carbonate. The binder may include sodium lignosulfonate. The lubricant may include aluminum stearate, zinc stearate, or oleic acid. The sintered proppants may have a density greater than or equal to about 3.7 g/cm3.

Abstract: A proppant may include a sintered ceramic, wherein the sintered ceramic has a composition including an alumina (Al2O3) content ranging from about 60% to about 78% by weight, an iron oxide (Fe2O3) content ranging from about 5% to about 20% by weight, a silica (SiO2) content ranging from about 1% to about 10% by weight, a titania (TiO2) content ranging from about 2% to about 8% by weight, and a combined iron oxide and titania content of at least about 11% by weight. A proppant may include a sintered ceramic. The sintered ceramic may have a composition including a calcium oxide (CaO) content ranging from about 1% to about 5% by weight. A rod-shaped proppant may include a sintered ceramic having an aspect ratio ranging from about 1.5 to about 3, an apparent specific gravity ranging from about 2.0 to about 4.0, and a pack porosity of greater than 49%.