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US 3,942,974 AGranted
Manganese nodule pelletizing
AssigneeKennecott Copper Corporation
InventorsEugene J. Moreau, Richard S. Opalanko, Norman Schapiro, Robert E. Lueders
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Abstract
Sodium ions are added to manganese nodules to convert the montmorillonite clay naturally occurring in the nodule material into a bonding agent for pelletization into spherical agglomerates. The addition of coking coal to provide bonding stength after reduction, during which the clay bond is destroyed, is also disclosed.
Claims18
In a process in which manganese nodules are reduced and subsequently leached to extract metal values therefrom wherein the improvement comprises pelletizing the manganese nodules prior to the reduction and leaching by the following steps:
- a. grinding the nodules;
- b. base exchanging the calcium montmorillonite in the nodules with sodium ions;
- c. agglomerating the ground nodules to form pellets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.