Abrasive materials for use in abrasive-jet systems and associated materials, apparatuses, systems, and methods
View Patent ↗Abrasive materials for use in abrasive jet systems and associated materials, apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed. An abrasive material configured in accordance with a particular embodiment includes abrasive particles individually including an abrasive core and a fluid-repelling coating. The individual abrasive cores can be monolithic and have outer surfaces. The individual fluid-repelling coatings can include an amide wax and/or other suitable materials and can extend around at least about 95% of the outer surfaces of the corresponding abrasive cores. An average sieve diameter of the abrasive particles can be from about 5 microns to about 35 microns. A method for making abrasive materials in accordance with a particular embodiment includes introducing abrasive cores into a mixer, introducing particles of a non-liquid fluid-repelling material into the mixer, introducing an anti-clumping material into the mixer, and mixing the abrasive cores, the fluid-repelling material, and the anti-clumping material.
1. A method, comprising:
introducing abrasive cores into a mixer;
introducing a fluid-repelling material into the mixer, the fluid-repelling material being non-liquid and softer than the abrasive cores;
introducing an anti-clumping material into the mixer; and
mixing the abrasive cores, the fluid-repelling material, and the anti-clumping material within the mixer to form abrasive particles, wherein the mixing includes mixing the abrasive cores, the fluid-repelling material, and the anti-clumping material while a weight ratio of the abrasive cores to the fluid-repelling material is within a range from 50:1 to 600:1.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
introducing the abrasive cores includes introducing abrasive cores including a water-soluble material; and
introducing the fluid-repelling material includes introducing a hydrophobic material.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the fluid-repelling material includes introducing a fluid-repelling material having a Mohs' hardness at room temperature within a range from 0.1 to 0.5.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the fluid-repelling material includes introducing an amide wax.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the anti-clumping material includes introducing fumed silica.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mechanically screening the abrasive particles.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising collecting a screened portion of the abrasive particles, wherein an average sieve diameter of the screened portion is within a range from 5 to 35 microns.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
introducing the fluid-repelling material includes introducing particles of the fluid-repelling material; and
introducing the anti-clumping material includes introducing particles of the anti-clumping material.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the mixing includes mixing the abrasive cores, the fluid-repelling material, and the anti-clumping material while a weight ratio of the abrasive cores to the anti-clumping material is within a range from 100:1 to 1500:1.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein:
introducing the abrasive cores includes introducing abrasive cores having a first average sieve diameter; and
introducing particles of the fluid-repelling material includes introducing particles of the fluid-repelling material having a second average sieve diameter, the second average sieve diameter being within a range from 1% to 30% of the first average sieve diameter.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein:
introducing the abrasive cores includes introducing abrasive cores having an average sieve diameter within a range from 5 to 50 microns; and
introducing particles of the fluid-repelling material includes introducing particles of the fluid-repelling material having an average sieve diameter within a range from 1 to 8 microns.
12. A method, comprising:
introducing abrasive cores into a mixer;
introducing a fluid-repelling material into the mixer, the fluid-repelling material being non-liquid and softer than the abrasive cores;
introducing an anti-clumping material into the mixer; and
mixing the abrasive cores, the fluid-repelling material, and the anti-clumping material within the mixer to form abrasive particles, wherein the mixing includes mixing the abrasive cores, the fluid-repelling material, and the anti-clumping material while a weight ratio of the abrasive cores to the anti-clumping material is within a range from 100:1 to 1500:1.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein:
introducing the abrasive cores includes introducing abrasive cores including a water-soluble material; and
introducing the fluid-repelling material includes introducing a hydrophobic material.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein introducing the fluid-repelling material includes introducing a fluid-repelling material having a Mohs' hardness at room temperature within a range from 0.1 to 0.5.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein introducing the fluid-repelling material includes introducing an amide wax.
16. The method of claim 12 wherein introducing the anti-clumping material includes introducing fumed silica.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising mechanically screening the abrasive particles.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising collecting a screened portion of the abrasive particles, wherein an average sieve diameter of the screened portion is within a range from 5 to 35 microns.
19. A method, comprising:
introducing abrasive cores into a mixer, wherein introducing the abrasive cores includes introducing abrasive cores having a first average sieve diameter;
introducing particles of a fluid-repelling material into the mixer, the fluid-repelling material being non-liquid and softer than the abrasive cores, wherein introducing the particles of the fluid-repelling material includes introducing particles of the fluid-repelling material having a second average sieve diameter, the second average sieve diameter being within a range from 1% to 30% of the first average sieve diameter;
introducing particles of an anti-clumping material into the mixer; and
mixing the abrasive cores, the particles of the fluid-repelling material, and the particles of the anti-clumping material within the mixer to form abrasive particles.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein:
introducing the abrasive cores includes introducing abrasive cores including a water-soluble material; and
introducing the particles of the fluid-repelling material includes introducing particles of a hydrophobic material.
21. The method of claim 19 wherein introducing the particles of the fluid-repelling material includes introducing particles of a fluid-repelling material having a Mohs' hardness at room temperature within a range from 0.1 to 0.5.
22. The method of claim 19 wherein introducing the particles of the fluid-repelling material includes introducing an amide wax.
23. The method of claim 19 wherein introducing the particles of the anti-clumping material includes introducing particles of fumed silica.
24. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
mechanically screening the abrasive particles; and
collecting a screened portion of the abrasive particles, wherein an average sieve diameter of the screened portion is within a range from 5 to 35 microns.
25. A method, comprising:
introducing abrasive cores into a mixer, wherein introducing the abrasive cores includes introducing abrasive cores having an average sieve diameter within a range from 5 to 50 microns; and
introducing particles of a fluid-repelling material into the mixer, the fluid-repelling material being non-liquid and softer than the abrasive cores, wherein introducing the particles of the fluid-repelling material includes introducing particles of the fluid-repelling material having an average sieve diameter within a range from 1 to 8 microns;
introducing particles of an anti-clumping material into the mixer; and
mixing the abrasive cores, the particles of the fluid-repelling material, and the particles of the anti-clumping material within the mixer to form abrasive particles.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein:
introducing the abrasive cores includes introducing abrasive cores including a water-soluble material; and
introducing the particles of the fluid-repelling material includes introducing particles of a hydrophobic material.
27. The method of claim 25 wherein introducing the particles of the fluid-repelling material includes introducing particles of a fluid-repelling material having a Mohs' hardness at room temperature within a range from 0.1 to 0.5.
28. The method of claim 25 wherein introducing the particles of the fluid-repelling material includes introducing an amide wax.
29. The method of claim 25 wherein introducing the particles of the anti-clumping material includes introducing particles of fumed silica.
30. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:
mechanically screening the abrasive particles; and
collecting a screened portion of the abrasive particles, wherein an average sieve diameter of the screened portion is within a range from 5 to 35 microns.
31. The method of claim 25 wherein the average sieve diameter of the particles of the fluid-repelling material is within a range from 1% to 30% of the average sieve diameter of the abrasive cores.