Abstract: A long term dust free mass of free flowing inorganic particles of the type creating airborne silica dust, preferably sand particles as used for hydraulic fracturing, where the particles are coated with a dust suppression solution having 0.10 to 6.0 percent by weight a soluble polymer and an added, small amount of a surfactant, which small amount is less than 0.5 and preferably less than 0.10 percent by weight of the solution. The mass has a very low dosage of the solution, in the range of 0.1 to 10 milliliters per pound of the mass, so the mass has a moisture content of less than 0.30 percent by weight.

Abstract: A long term dust free proppant comprising a mass of free flowing particles, where the particles are coated with a dust suppression solution containing 90 to 99.5 percent by weight water, 0.05 to 3.0 percent by weight a soluble polymer and an added, small amount of a surfactant. The mass has a very low dosage of the solution so the mass has a moisture content of less than 0.30 percent by weight. Preferably the solution is applied to the particles by an air mist jet.

Abstract: A synthetic alkali metal silicate pigment is modified with a source of a water soluble zirconium ion to form an oxy-hydroxy zirconium species precipitate on the pigment surface. The surface modified pigment is made by slurrying the pigment and reacting it with the source of a water soluble zirconium ion. The surface modified pigment provides improvements over conventional synthetic alkali metal silicate pigments in terms of optical properties, particularly in paper applications, and physical properties, particularly in rubber applications. The surface modified pigment is also useful as an extender or replacement for TiO.sub.2, a conventional synthetic alkali metal silicate such as a sodium-aluminosilicate pigment, a clay, a calcined clay or the like.