Process for Drying Boron-Containing Minerals and Products Thereof

Abstract

Processes for the rapid and efficient drying of boron-containing compounds, in particular boron-containing minerals and ores, are described, as well as the products which result from such processes. The process comprises the steps of providing a boron-containing material; introducing the boron-containing material into a pre-heated furnace; heating the boron-containing material in the furnace at a temperature between about 800° F. and 1000° F.; retaining the boron-containing material within the furnace for a time ranging from about 5 minutes to about 120 minutes; and removing the boron-containing material from the furnace and allowing it to cool to ambient temperature. Optionally, the process may also comprise one or more steps of grinding and/or sizing the boron-containing material to a specific particle size prior to the introduction of the material to a furnace. The boron-containing compounds that can be processed in this manner include both naturally-occurring and/or synthetic boron-containing materials, in particular boron-containing minerals and ores such as colemanite, ulexite, probertite, kernite, and mixtures thereof.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.