Process for activating clays with high residual moisture

A process for activating clays having high residual moisture, comprising the following steps:

• feeding wet clay into a device for drying the wet clay and configured to provide a dried clay,
• comminuting the dried clay in a device for comminuting configured to provide a comminuted clay,
• thermally activating the comminuted clay in an entrained flow reactor or in a fluidized bed reactor in which the comminuted clay is in suspension in a gas, the entrained flow reactor or in a fluidized bed reactor configured to provide a thermally activated clay,
• removing the gas from the entrained flow reactor or the fluidized bed reactor in a device for removing, and
• cooling the thermally activated clay in a device for cooling with a cooling gas,
• combining the cooling gas, heated after cooling the thermally activated clay, with the gas from the entrained flow reactor or fluidized bed reactor to provide a combined gas, and
• introducing the combined gas into the device for drying as a drying air, and
• filtering, in a dust filter, the drying air after drying of the wet clay, wherein clay removed by filtration is combined with the dried clay.

A plant for activating clays having high residual moisture, the plant comprising:

• a device for drying a wet clay and configured to provide a dried clay;
• a device for comminuting the dried clay and configured to provide a comminuted clay;
• an entrained flow reactor or a fluidized bed reactor for thermally activating the comminuted clay, in which the comminuted clay is in suspension in a hot gas, and wherein the entrained flow reactor or the fluidized bed reactor is configured to provide activated clay;
• a device for removing gas from the entrained flow reactor or fluidized bed reactor;
• a device for cooling the thermally activated clay with a cooling gas;
• a device for combining the cooling gas, heated after cooling the thermally activated clay, with the gas from the entrained flow reactor or fluidized bed reactor to provide a combined gas;
• a conduit for the combined gas into the device for drying as a drying air;
• a device for filtering the drying air after drying of the wet clay;
• and
• a conveying device configured to combine clay removed by the device for filtering with the dried clay.