Methods for reducing moisture content in alkaline earth metal carbonates

A method for reducing moisture content of alkaline earth metal carbonate, the method comprising:

• introducing alkaline earth metal carbonate having a moisture content ranging between about 0.1% by mass to about 10% by mass into a primary crusher;
• operating the primary crusher to obtain alkaline earth metal carbonate particles having a moisture content of about 3.0% by mass or less;
• introducing the alkaline earth metal carbonate particles into a primary grinder;
• operating the primary grinder to obtain reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles having a moisture content of about 1.0% by mass or less and a median particle size d50 of about 60 microns or less;
• introducing the reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles into a classifier mill;
• and
• operating the classifier mill to obtain further-reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles having a moisture content of about 0.15% by mass or less and a median particle size d50 of about 12 microns or less;
• wherein the method excluding one or more of:
• (a) introducing the alkaline earth metal carbonate into a dryer, (b) introducing the alkaline earth metal carbonate particles into a dryer, (c) introducing the reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles into a dryer, or (d) introducing the further-reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles into a dryer.

A method for reducing moisture content of alkaline earth metal carbonate, the method comprising:

• introducing alkaline earth metal carbonate having a moisture content of about 10% by mass or less into a primary grinder;
• operating the primary grinder to obtain reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles, such that the reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles have a median particle size d50 of about 60 microns or less and a moisture content of about 1.0% by mass or less;
• introducing the reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles into a classifier mill;
• and
• operating the classifier mill to obtain further-reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles, such that the further-reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles have a moisture content of about 0.15% by mass or less and a median particle size d50 of about 12 microns or less,
• wherein the method excluding one or more of:
• (a) introducing the alkaline earth metal carbonate into a dryer, (b) introducing the alkaline earth metal carbonate particles into a dryer, (c) introducing the reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles into a dryer, or (d) introducing the further-reduced-size alkaline earth metal carbonate particles into a dryer.