Preparation of heat resisting poly(methyl methacrylate)/silica fume composite microspheres used as ultra-lightweight proppants

Ultra-lightweight heat resisting poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/silica fume microspheres were successfully prepared via in-situ suspension polymerisation. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that PMMA/silica fume composite microspheres had good sphericity and the silica fume particles were evenly dispersed in microspheres and formed lots of macroporous material. Furthermore, density analysis illustrated that the density of composites was about 1.06-1.24 g/cm³ with good suitability for water carrying. Thermal stability of the PMMA/silica fume composite particles was significantly better than pure for PMMA. Therefore, PMMA/silica fume composite microspheres possess an entirely feasible application in oil exploitation as ultra-lightweight proppants.