Abstract: A method of treating a clay to remove therefrom titanium mineral impurities comprising the steps of mixing an aqueous slurry of said clay having a high solids content with an activator and a collector for the titanium mineral impurities; conditioning the aqueous clay slurry at said high solids content for a time sufficient to dissipate therein at least 25 horsepower hours of energy per ton of solids; adding to the conditioned aqueous clay slurry a polyacrylate salt deflocculant; subjecting the conditioned aqueous clay slurry undiluted containing the polyacrylate salt deflocculant to a froth flotation process and removing the titanium impurities with the froth; and recovering clay having a reduced titanium minerals impurities content.

Abstract: A high intensity conditioning mill for conditioning aqueous pulp containing particles of clay and mineral impurities preparatory to subjecting the pulp to froth flotation comprising a conditioning vessel for containing the body of aqueous pulp, a plurality of generally horizontal baffles mounted within said vessel and dividing the interior thereof into a plurality of chambers, each baffle being formed with a central, circular hole, inlet means for feeding aqueous pulp to the lowermost chamber, outlet means for removing conditioned aqueous pulp from the space above the uppermost baffle, a rotatable, generally vertical drive shaft centrally positioned to rotate in said vessel and extending generally concentrically through each hole in each baffle and a plurality of impellers mounted on said shaft and generally positioned within a hole of the horizontal baffle, the impellers being of a size relative to said holes sufficient to provide passageways for the aqueous pulp from each chamber to each adjacent chamber wh