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US 3,962,403 AGranted
Process for separation of nahcolite from oil shale
AssigneeThe Superior Oil Company
InventorDagobert M. Wyslouzil
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Abstract
Nahcolite-bearing oil shale ore is heated to produce a distinct color change in the nahcolite, differentiating the nahcolite from the host oil shale for optical sorting, and such sorting is then accomplished by optical sorting means.
Claims11
A process for separation of nahcolite from nahcolite-bearing oil shale ore, comprising the steps of:
- heating said nahcolite-bearing oil shale ore at a temperature of from about 100.degree.C to about 1000.degree.C for a time sufficient to convert at least some of the surface of said nahcolite to a lighter-colored product;
- and
- optically sorting to separate said lighter-colored product from the remaining oil shale.
A process for separation of nahcolite from nahcolite-bearing oil shale ore, comprising the steps of:
- heating said nahcolite-bearing oil shale ore at a temperature of from about 100.degree.C to about 1000.degree.C for a time sufficient to convert at least some of the surface of said nahcolite to sodium carbonate having a distinctly lighter color than the surface of the remaining oil shale;
- and
- optically sorting said heated nahcolite-bearing oil shale ore to separate a lighter-colored converted nahcolite fraction from the remaining oil shale.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.