Abstract: An improvement is disclosed applicable to systems where a mineral ore, such as a crude kaolin is introduced into a high shear, high energy mixing device with a suspending fluid and dispersing agents added to the same mixing device at controlled rates to produce a suspension with a solid content not more than 72% by weight. The process is applicable to systems where inorganic materials are suspended in a slurry, using water as the suspending fluid, in the presence of a dispersing agent, as for example in the processing of kaolin clay where the crude clay is formed into an aqueous suspension for the purpose of removing impurities and further processing. Heat is applied to the fluids in or before entering the mixing zone of the mixer, in sufficient quantity to raise the temperature of the suspension by at least 10.degree. C. This lowers the flow resistance of fluids in the mixing zone.

Abstract: An improved process for bleaching and delignifying cellulose pulp. The process comprises subjecting the pulp to a bleaching stage followed by washing, and thereafter extracting the bleached pulp as received from the bleaching stage in a caustic extraction stage in the presence of oxygen and hypochlorite. The preferred embodiment is a sequential treatment of the bleached pulp with oxygen and hypochlorite without a pulp washing step between chemical additions. The process is characterized by enhanced delignification with high brightness and high viscosity. The process is further characterized by extraction stage filtrates of improved environmental characteristics.