Abstract: Sedimentary mica flakes are produced having a bulk density of between about five and one-half pounds per cubic feet and eight pounds per cubic feet (5.5-11 lbs/ft3), a high aspect ratio, and a G.E. brightness between about seventy-five and ninety (75-90). Operations include applying shear forces to delaminate the mica into flakes. Shear forces are applied by rotating a plurality of arcuate blades within a confined chamber containing the mica, such that the mica is forced between an outer portion of each blade and said chamber. The resulting delaminated mica flakes may be dried and classified.

Abstract: Sedimentary mica flakes are produced having a bulk density of between about five and one-half pounds per cubic feet and eight pounds per cubic feet (5.5-11 lbs/ft.sup.3), a high aspect ratio, and a G.E. brightness between about seventy-five and ninety (75-90). Operations include applying shear forces to delaminate the mica into flakes. Shear forces are applied by rotating a plurality of arcuate blades within a confined chamber containing the mica, such that the mica is forced between an outer portion of each blade and said chamber. The resulting delaminated mica flakes may be dried and classified.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for whitening kaolin contaminated with chlorite/biotite micas. The process comprises the steps of contacting the kaolin contaminated with chlorite/biotite micas with an aqueous acid solution to convert the chlorite/biotite micas into kaolin and one or more dissolved metal salts, and separating the kaolin from the dissolved metal salts. The present invention also provided an overall system for whitening kaolin contaminated with chlorite/biotite micas. The process comprises blunging the kaolin contaminated with chlorite/biotite micas to provide a 20 to 70 percent solid slurry, degritting the slurry, delaminating the degritted slurry, fractionating the degritted slurry, subjecting the slurry to a magnetic field to remove iron or iron-titanium oxides, reductive leaching the slurry, contacting the slurry with an aqueous acid solution to convert the chlorite/biotite micas into kaolin or a kaolin-like clay and one or more dissolved metal salts (e.g.

Abstract: Signals from a balanced processor are sampled at a constant rate, integra and then divided by the number of samples. Two averages are obtained: a positive half cycle average and a negative half cycle average. Over a long period, clutter contributions tend to cancel. Target dominance is thus enhanced by integrating over half cycles rather than full cycles. A single cycle bias finder adds half cycle averages to obtain a cycle bias. The single cycle bias is fed to the moving average integrator where it is integrated over an optimum number of cycles. Obtaining the moving average reduces the chance that a single cycle bias can cause the average to exceed the threshold while a radially moving target will be detected.