Abstract: There is disclosed a organophilic composition which comprises a mixture of a smectite clay and a particulate second inorganic material, the mixture having been treated with a quaternary ammonium compound which is capable of rendering the smectite clay organophilic and the second inorganic material constituting at least 10% by weight of the mixture of smectite clay, second inorganic material and quaternary ammonium compound.The organophilic composition is useful for gelling organic solvents and compositions containing organic solvents.

Abstract: There is disclosed an organophilic composition which comprises a mixture of a smectite clay and a particulate second inorganic material, the mixture having been treated with a quaternary ammonium compound which is capable of rendering the smectite clay organophilic and the second inorganic material constituting at least 10% by weight of the mixture of smectite clay, second inorganic material and quaternary ammonium compound.The organophilic composition is useful for gelling organic solvents and compositions containing organic solvents.

Abstract: A separating chamber for a magnetic separator is disclosed, which separating chamber includes a canister having at least one inlet and at least one outlet and a fluid-permeable magnetisable packing material within the canister. When feed material from which magnetisable particles are to be separated is supplied to the inlet(s), it passes into the packing material by way of a fluid-permeable partition which serves to distribute the feed material over a large area within the packing material. By virtue of an externally applied magnetic field, magnetisable particles within the feed material are magnetically attracted to collecting sites within the packing material. So as to mitigate the effect of fluid passing through apertures in the partition which tends to produce high velocity jets, thereby prejudicing the separation efficiency, the partition is double-walled, the two walls being spaced slightly apart and being apertured.