Patent attributes
Methods of suspending proppants in a hydraulic fracturing fluid including adding a quantity of precursor nanoparticles including carbon nanotubes supported by metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles to the hydraulic fracturing fluid. The metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles and the hydraulic fracturing fluid are selected such that the metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles are dissolvable in the hydraulic fracturing fluid. The metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles dissolve in the hydraulic fracturing fluid, resulting in an amount of carbon nanotubes dispersed within the hydraulic fracturing fluid. The carbon nanotube dispersion increases the value of at least one of a Newtonian viscosity, a yield point, a plastic viscosity, and a density of the hydraulic fracturing fluid with the dispersed carbon nanotubes versus a similar or equivalent hydraulic fracturing fluid without the carbon nanotube dispersion. The method may further include adding proppants to the hydraulic fracturing fluid.
