Attrition resistant proppant composite and its composition matters

1. A surface modified proppant comprising:

a proppant; and

a chemical coating at least partially covering the proppant, where the chemical coating is tall oil pitch-based or a combination of tall oil pitch-based coating and glycerin-based coating, propylene glycol-based coating, or a combination thereof.

2. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the coating increases the attrition resistance of the proppant.

3. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the coating reduces the generation of dust/fines of the proppant upon shipping, handling, pneumatic air unloading, or combinations thereof.

4. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the coating is non-toxic to humans.

5. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the coating is not an ionic polymer.

6. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the coating is less than 2 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

7. The surface modified proppant of claim 6 where the coating is less than 1 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

8. The surface modified proppant of claim 7 where the coating is 0.05 to 0.20 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

9. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the proppant is substantially dust free.

10. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the proppant comprises raw substrate, including sand, ceramic, or composite material, composites, minerals, ground shells, resin coated proppants, or combinations thereof.

11. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the chemical coating comprises glycerin-based coating, vegetable oil/wax-based coating, tall oil pitch based coating, alkyl ester based coating, or a combination thereof.

12. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the chemical coating is applied to the proppant through spray, mechanical mixing, non-mechanical mixing, or a combination thereof.

13. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the coating reduces attrition of the proppant upon shipping, handling, and/or pneumatic air unloading compared to the proppant without the coating.

14. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the coating comprises multiple coatings, where the coatings are applied simultaneously onto the proppant.

15. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the coating comprises multiple coatings, where the coatings are applied sequentially onto the proppant.

16. The surface modified proppant of claim 15 where the multiple coatings comprise a first coating and a second coating and where the first coating has a different chemical composition than the second coating.

17. The surface modified proppant of claim 15 where the multiple coatings comprise a first coating and a second coating and where the first coating has a chemical composition, the second coating has a chemical composition, and the chemical composition of the first coating is the same as the chemical composition of the second coating.

18. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the coating is applied to the proppant prior to the proppant being used.

19. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 further comprising a chemical marker.

20. The surface modified proppant of claim 19 where the chemical marker is a colorant, a UV dye, a conductivity enhancing chemical, or a combination thereof.

21. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the coating comprises a thick layer of coating, a thin layer of coating, or a partial layer of coating.

22. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 further comprising a frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent.

23. The surface modified proppant of claim 22 where the frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent is betaine, gluconate, polyglycol, or a combination thereof.

24. The surface modified proppant of claim 1 where the coating does not require curing or drying.

25. A surface modified proppant comprising:

a proppant; and

a chemical coating at least partially covering the proppant, the chemical coating comprising tall oil pitch,

where the surface modified proppant has a Turbidity Reduction Factor greater than about 40% and a Respirable Dust Reduction Factor of greater than about 70%.

26. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the chemical coating is non-petroleum-based or a combination of non-petroleum-based coating and glycerin-based coating, propylene glycol-based coating, or a combination thereof.

27. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the chemical coating is not a thermoset polymer, not an ionic polymer, not a thermoplastic elastomer, and not a hydrogel.

28. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the coating increases the attrition resistance of the proppant.

29. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the coating reduces the generation of dust/fines of the proppant upon shipping, handling, pneumatic air unloading, or combinations thereof.

30. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the coating is non-toxic to humans.

31. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the coating is less than 2 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

32. The surface modified proppant of claim 31 where the coating is less than 1 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

33. The surface modified proppant of claim 32 where the coating is 0.05 to 0.20 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

34. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the proppant is substantially dust free.

35. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the proppant comprises raw substrate, including sand, ceramic, or composite material, composites, minerals, ground shells, resin coated proppants, or combinations thereof.

36. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the chemical coating comprises glycerin-based coating, vegetable oil/wax-based coating, tall oil pitch based coating, alkyl ester based coating, or a combination thereof.

37. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the chemical coating is applied to the proppant through spray, mechanical mixing, non-mechanical mixing, or a combination thereof.

38. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the coating reduces attrition of the proppant upon shipping, handling, and/or pneumatic air unloading compared to the proppant without the coating.

39. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the coating comprises multiple coatings, where the coatings are applied simultaneously onto the proppant.

40. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the coating comprises multiple coatings, where the coatings are applied sequentially onto the proppant.

41. The surface modified proppant of claim 40 where the multiple coatings comprise a first coating and a second coating and where the first coating has a different chemical composition than the second coating.

42. The surface modified proppant of claim 40 where the multiple coatings comprise a first coating and a second coating and where the first coating has a chemical composition, the second coating has a chemical composition, and the chemical composition of the first coating is the same as the chemical composition of the second coating.

43. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the coating is applied to the proppant prior to the proppant being used.

44. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 further comprising a chemical marker.

45. The surface modified proppant of claim 44 where the chemical marker is a colorant, a UV dye, a conductivity enhancing chemical, or a combination thereof.

46. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the coating comprises a thick layer of coating, a thin layer of coating, or a partial layer of coating.

47. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 further comprising a frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent.

48. The surface modified proppant of claim 47 where the frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent is betaine, gluconate, polyglycol, or a combination thereof.

49. The surface modified proppant of claim 25 where the coating does not require curing or drying.

50. A surface modified proppant comprising:

a proppant; and

a chemical coating at least partially covering the proppant, where the chemical coating is not a thermoset polymer, not an ionic polymer, not a thermoplastic elastomer, and not a hydrogel and where the chemical coating comprises tall oil pitch.

51. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the coating increases the attrition resistance of the proppant.

52. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the coating reduces the generation of dust/fines of the proppant upon shipping, handling, pneumatic air unloading, or combinations thereof.

53. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the coating is non-toxic to humans.

54. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the coating is not an ionic polymer.

55. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the coating is less than 2 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

56. The surface modified proppant of claim 55 where the coating is less than 1 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

57. The surface modified proppant of claim 56 where the coating is 0.05 to 0.20 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

58. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the proppant is substantially dust free.

59. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the proppant comprises raw substrate, including sand, ceramic, or composite material, composites, minerals, ground shells, resin coated proppants, or combinations thereof.

60. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the chemical coating comprises glycerin-based coating, vegetable oil/wax-based coating, tall oil pitch based coating, alkyl ester based coating, or a combination thereof.

61. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the chemical coating is applied to the proppant through spray, mechanical mixing, non-mechanical mixing, or a combination thereof.

62. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the coating reduces attrition upon shipping, handling, and/or pneumatic air unloading than the proppant without the coating.

63. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the coating comprises multiple coatings, where the coatings are applied simultaneously onto the proppant.

64. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the coating comprises multiple coatings, where the coatings are applied sequentially onto the proppant.

65. The surface modified proppant of claim 64 where the multiple coatings comprise a first coating and a second coating and where the first coating has a different chemical composition than the second coating.

66. The surface modified proppant of claim 64 where the multiple coatings comprise a first coating and a second coating and where the first coating has a chemical composition, the second coating has a chemical composition, and the chemical composition of the first coating is the same as the chemical composition of the second coating.

67. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the coating is applied to the proppant prior to the proppant being used.

68. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 further comprising a chemical marker.

69. The surface modified proppant of claim 68 where the chemical marker is a colorant, a UV dye, a conductivity enhancing chemical, or a combination thereof.

70. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the coating comprises a thick layer of coating, a thin layer of coating, or a partial layer of coating.

71. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 further comprising a frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent.

72. The surface modified proppant of claim 71 where the frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent is betaine, gluconate, polyglycol, or a combination thereof.

73. The surface modified proppant of claim 50 where the coating does not require curing or drying.

74. A material for creating a coating on a proppant for use in hydraulic fracturing, the material comprising tall oil pitch and being less than 2 wt. % of the proppant receiving the material.

75. The material of claim 74 where the coating increases the attrition resistance of the proppant.

76. The material of claim 74 where the coating reduces the generation of dust/fines of the proppant upon shipping, handling, pneumatic air unloading, or combinations thereof.

77. The material of claim 74 where the material is non-toxic to humans.

78. The material of claim 74 where the material is less than 1 wt. % of the proppant receiving the material.

79. The material of claim 74 where the material is 0.05 to 0.20 wt. % of the proppant receiving the material.

80. The material of claim 74 further comprising a chemical marker.

81. The material of claim 80 where the chemical marker is a colorant, a UV dye, a conductivity enhancing chemical, or a combination thereof.

82. The material of claim 74 further comprising a frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent.

83. The material of claim 82 where the frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent is betaine, gluconate, polyglycol, or a combination thereof.

84. A surface modified proppant comprising:

a proppant; and

a chemical coating at least partially covering the proppant, where the chemical coating consists essentially of tall oil pitch based coating or a combination of tall oil pitch based coating and vegetable oil/wax-based coating, alkyl ester based coating, or a combination of vegetable oil/wax-based coating and alkyl ester based coating.

85. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the coating increases the attrition resistance of the proppant.

86. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the coating reduces the generation of dust/fines of the proppant upon shipping, handling, pneumatic air unloading, or combinations thereof.

87. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the coating is less than 2 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

88. The surface modified proppant of claim 87 where the coating is less than 1 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

89. The surface modified proppant of claim 88 where the coating is 0.05 to 0.20 wt. % of the surface modified proppant.

90. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the proppant is substantially dust free.

91. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the proppant comprises raw substrate, including sand, ceramic, or composite material, composites, minerals, ground shells, resin coated proppants, or combinations thereof.

92. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the chemical coating is applied to the proppant through spray, mechanical mixing, non-mechanical mixing, or a combination thereof.

93. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the coating reduces attrition of the proppant upon shipping, handling, and/or pneumatic air unloading compared to the proppant without the coating.

94. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the coating comprises multiple coatings, where the coatings are applied simultaneously onto the proppant.

95. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the coating comprises multiple coatings, where the coatings are applied sequentially onto the proppant.

96. The surface modified proppant of claim 95 where the multiple coatings comprise a first coating and a second coating and where the first coating has a different chemical composition than the second coating.

97. The surface modified proppant of claim 95 where the multiple coatings comprise a first coating and a second coating and where the first coating has a chemical composition, the second coating has a chemical composition, and the chemical composition of the first coating is the same as the chemical composition of the second coating.

98. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the coating is applied to the proppant prior to the proppant being used.

99. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 further comprising a chemical marker.

100. The surface modified proppant of claim 99 where the chemical marker is a colorant, a UV dye, a conductivity enhancing chemical, or a combination thereof.

101. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the coating comprises a thick layer of coating, a thin layer of coating, or a partial layer of coating.

102. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 further comprising a frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent.

103. The surface modified proppant of claim 102 where the frac fluid delay-crosslinking agent is betaine, gluconate, polyglycol, or a combination thereof.

104. The surface modified proppant of claim 84 where the coating does not require curing or drying.