Abstract: An air-jet mill provided with pregrinding chambers and inner sizer suitable for fine grinding (below 10 .mu.), for cryogenic grinding and also for surface treatment during grinding of hard, elastic and/or thermoplastic materials.During operation there are no moving components to be exposed to heavy wear, and an inner sizer, forming an integral part of the grinding space, uses the energy left after grinding in the system to enable a sharp sizing or separation of fine fractions.

Abstract: The present invention provides for an improvement in the Bayer Aluminum manufacturing process wherein the digestion of goethite-containing bauxite is effected in higher yields, at lower temperatures and in a single step by carrying out said digestion in a wet caustic solution containing both calcium oxide and sodium chloride.

Abstract: A method for processing bauxites according to the Bayer technology, with an increased yield in Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and with decreased caustic soda losses, starting particularly from goethite bauxites of boehmite and/or diaspore type and carrying out the digestion at 180.degree.C to 300.degree.C using an aluminate liquor containing Na.sub.2 O.sub.caustic in a concentration of 80 to 300 g./l. The digestion is carried out in the presence of a calcium compound in an amount corresponding to 2 to 6 % of CaO calculated for the dry weight of bauxite and of a sulfate salt in an amount corresponding to 1.0 to 7.0 g./l. of sulfate ion concentration, whereby the goethite content of the bauxite is converted into hematite. The process provides advantageous conditions for the complete dissolution of the boehmite and diaspore content of bauxite in the vicinity of the equilibrium molar ratio, and enables to recover efficiently the caustic soda losses in the Bayer process itself, requiring no supplementary operation.