Abstract: A method of recovering a mineral product from carpet by preparing a feed of carpet pieces; thermally separating organic components from mineral components in the carpet by heating the carpet pieces to a particle bed temperature in the range of 600° C. to 1000° C., wherein the mineral component is oxidized to form a mineral oxide; slurrying the mineral oxide with water to produce 15 to 35% solids slurry within a period of approximately 30 minutes to 24 hours, whereby the mineral oxide forms a mineral hydroxide; stabilizing the pH of the slurry in the range between 6 and 10 by carbonation, resulting in a slurry containing mineral carbonates.

Abstract: A method of recovering a mineral product from carpet by preparing a feed of carpet pieces; thermally separating organic components from mineral components in the carpet by heating the carpet pieces to a particle bed temperature in the range of 600° C. to 1000° C., wherein the mineral component is oxidized to form a mineral oxide; slurrying the mineral oxide with water to produce 15 to 35% solids slurry within a period of approximately 30 minutes to 24 hours, whereby the mineral oxide forms a mineral hydroxide; stabilizing the pH of the slurry in the range between 6 and 10 by carbonation, resulting in a slurry containing mineral carbonates.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for filtering slurries of minerals or other fine particles. The apparatus includes a filter plate having an interior porous support layer and a microporous metal filtration layer overlying the support layer, the pore sizes in the filtration layer preferably being in the range of from about 0.2 to 3 microns. The side of the filtration layer non-adjacent the support layer constitutes a filter surface for the mineral.

Abstract: A method for filtering an aqueous mineral slurry and collection of the mineral as product. The slurry is flowed through a filter plate of the type characterized by a porous support layer and an overlying microporous metal filtration layer, with flow through the filter plate during filtration being from the filtration layer side toward the base layer and being effected by establishing a fluid pressure differential across the filter plate. The filtration layer preferably comprises a sintered metal, with a relatively narrow pore size distribution, i.e. one wherein substantially all of the pores are less than 5 .mu.m.

Abstract: A method which enables economical and highly effective preparation of refined kaolin clay products having preselected particle size distributions and brightnesses, by means of separate, efficient and economical processing of at least two crude components. A fine particle size kaolin crude having a PSD such that at least 85% by weight of the particles are of less than 2 micrometers ESD is wet beneficiated to provide a first product component having a PSD of at least 95% by weight less than 2 micrometers and a brightness of at least 89 on the G.E. scale. This wet beneficiation is conducted without use of a froth flotation step. A coarse particle size kaolin crude having a PSD such that less than 85% by weight of particles are of less than 2 micrometers ESD, is separately wet beneficiated to produce a second product component having a PSD of no more than 85% by weight less than 2 micrometers and a brightness of at least 89 on the G.E. scale.

Abstract: A method for producing calcined kaolin pigments of high opacifying properties and low abrasion. A kaolin crude is selected having a G.E. brightness in the range of 70 to 80, a titania content of 2.0 to 3.0% by weight, less than 2% iron expressed as Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, and a particle size distribution such that at least 88% by weight of the particles of said crude are of less than 2 .mu.m E.S.D.. The crude is blunged with water, and the resultant slurry degritted to form an aqueous slurry having at least 65% by weight solids. The slurry is centrifuged and a fraction recovered having over 65% solids, and in which at least 92% by weight of the particles are of less than 2 .mu.m. The recovered fraction is dried to less than 1% moisture, and pulverized to break up agglomerates. The pulverized fraction is then calcined by heating same to 1450.degree. to 1600.degree. F. after which the calcined kaolin is milled to yield a product having a G.E. brightness of 79 to 81 and an Einleiner abrasion of not mere than 2.

Abstract: A method for beneficiating a kaolin clay which includes quantities of smectite contaminants to reduce the low and high shear viscosities of high solids aqueous slurries of the kaolin. The smectite is converted into a pillared clay by intercalating it with a polymeric cationic hydroxy metal complex wherein the metal is ferromagnetic or diamagnetic. The kaolin and pillared smectite is then subjected as an aqueous slurry to high intensity magnetic separation, to separate the pillared smectite, and the beneficiated kaolin is recovered as product.

Abstract: An improvement is disclosed which is applicable to the method for filtering an aqueous mineral slurry by flowing the slurry through a ceramic filter plate which is characterized by a porous support layer and an overlying porous filtration layer, the pore sizes in said filtration layer being in the range of from about 1 to 3 .mu.m, and the flow through the filter plate being from the filter layer side toward the base layer, and being effected by establishing a fluid pressure differential across the said filter plate by applying suction to the the porous support layer. The improvement facilitates effective discharge of the filter cake from the plate which accumulates upon the porous filtration layer. According to such improvement the suction is extinguished and the support layer side of the plate is subjected to one ore more positive water pressure pulses to effect a transient reverse flow through the plate.

Abstract: An apparatus for filtering slurries of minerals or other fine particles is disclosed. The apparatus includes a ceramic filter plate and a fluid flow device for drawing a partial vacuum across said filter plate and to supply a pulsed liquid to the filtrate side of said filter plate. The apparatus also includes an oscillating device that facilitates removal of cake which accumulates on the filter plate when sued simultaneously with or successively with said pulsed liquid.

Abstract: In the process for beneficiating a crude kaolin by the method which includes a wet classification step to provide a classified kaolin fraction having a PSD such that at least 50% by weight thereof are of less than 1/2.mu.m ESD and substantially 100% by weight are of less than 10 .mu.m ESD; and one or more steps wherein an aqueous slurry of the classified kaolin is at least partially dewatered by filtration; the improvement which comprises effecting at least one of said one or more filtration steps, by flowing said aqueous kaolin slurry through a ceramic filter plate which is characterized by a porous support layer and an overlying porous filtration layer, the ratio between the respective mean pore sizes of the filtration layer material and the base layer material being between about 2 and 50; the pore size in said filtration layer being in the range of from about 1 to 3 .mu.m, and the pore size in the base layer being in the range of from about 4 to 50 .mu.

Abstract: The low shear, slurry viscosity of a kaolinitic clay that is contaminated with one or more forms of expanding clay is reduced by mixing the clay with a source of cationic potassium and then heating the potassium-treated clay to a temperature of at least about 100.degree. C.