[BuffaloJack]

For twelve years I designed high pressure instrumentation for fracking systems. At that time I needed to know what the fracking slurries were composed of so that my precision instruments could be designed to hold up in service.
The slurries are sand, water. and emulsifiers. The emulsifiers are typically casein (a milk product), gelatin and bean gums (guar, tragacanth, etc.). They aren’t poisons, most, in fact are edible. The small amount of hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide used is to buffer the pH of the slurry for maximum thickening, so that the sand doesn’t settle out quickly. As for how much they use, these people have an eye on cost. They don’t use any more than they need, less than 1 percent.

[Recon Dad]

Thank you for your expertise, it’s folks like you that make FR the best and most informative site on the web.

[Dysart]

Soutwestern Energy most commonly utilizes the following constituents: Biocide (glutaraldehyde) Corrosion inhibitor (N, n-dimethyl formamide) Friction reducer (polyacrylamide) Citric acid Scale Inhibitor (ethylene glycol) Sand.

Excluding citric acid, sand, and water, have you worked with these, and any comments on their safety profile, track record?