# US 4,391,734 A · Mineral treatment and composition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,391,734 A - Document ID: US4391734A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/297,275 - Filed: 1981-02-28 - Granted: 1983-07-05 - Earliest claimed: 1981-02-28 - Assignees: Standard Oil Company (Indiana) - Inventors: Laurence E. Ferreira; Richard S. Lamar; Ralph J. Bertolacini - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4391734A ## CPC - D21H 17/68: siliceous, e.g. clays - B01J 20/10: comprising silica or silicate - C01B 33/20: Silicates (persilicates C01B15/14 {; containing aluminium C01B33/26}) - C01B 33/22: Magnesium silicates - C01B 33/26: Aluminium-containing silicates {, i.e. silico-aluminates} - C08K 3/34: Silicon-containing compounds - C09C 1/28: Compounds of silicon {(C09C1/0009, C09C1/0015, C09C1/0078 take precedence)} - C09C 1/42: Clays - C09C 3/041: {Grinding} - C01P 2002/72: by d-values or two theta-values, e.g. as X-ray diagram - C01P 2002/88: by thermal analysis data, e.g. TGA, DTA, DSC - C01P 2004/10: extending in one dimension, e.g. needle-like - C01P 2004/32: Spheres - C01P 2004/51: Particles with a specific particle size distribution - C01P 2004/61: Micrometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 micrometer - C01P 2004/62: Submicrometer sized, i.e. from 0.1-1 micrometer - C01P 2004/80: Particles consisting of a mixture of two or more inorganic phases - C01P 2006/12: Surface area - D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} - C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09) - C09C: TREATMENT OF INORGANIC MATERIALS, OTHER THAN FIBROUS FILLERS, TO ENHANCE THEIR PIGMENTING OR FILLING PROPERTIES (treatment of materials specially adapted to enhance their filling properties in mortars, concrete or artificial stone C04B14/00, C04B18/00, C04B20/00); PREPARATION OF CARBON BLACK {; PREPARATION OF INORGANIC MATERIALS WHICH ARE NO SINGLE CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS AND WHICH ARE MAINLY USED AS PIGMENTS OR FILLERS} - C01P: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS ## Abstract A method for treating a phyllosilicate mineral by grinding a slurry of particles of the mineral in an organic medium and the product formed thereby are disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for treating a phyllosilicate mineral comprising: (a) forming a slurry comprising up to about 40 weight percent of phyllosilicate mineral particles in an organic liquid having a dielectric constant less than 35 and in the absence of a liquid having a dielectric constant of at least 35; (b) grinding the slurry at a sufficiently low temperature to avoid substantial loss of the liquid through vaporization and with sufficient force to form a particulate composite of the phyllosilicate mineral particles and an organic material present in or formed from the organic liquid during grinding and to fracture the particulate composite and thereby to produce particulate composite materials having a greater specific surface area than the phyllosilicate mineral particles from which they were formed; and (c) separating the particulate composite materials from the organic liquid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the slurry comprises from about 2 to about 20 weight percent of the phyllosilicate mineral particles in the organic liquid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the phyllosilicate mineral is selected from the group consisting of a member of the kaolin group, a member of the mica group, a member of the group characterized by a primitive three-layer structure, a member of the group characterized by an expandable three-layer structure and a member of the group characterized by a four-layer structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the phyllosilicate mineral is selected from the group consisting of kaolinite, muscovite, pyrophyllite, talc, vermiculite and chlorite. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the phyllosilicate mineral is talc. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein, prior to being ground in step (b), the phyllosilicate mineral particles in the slurry have a median particle size of less than 1 millimeter in the largest dimension. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the organic liquid has a dielectric constant less than 30. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the organic liquid boils in the range of from about 50.degree. C. to about 400.degree. C. and comprises at least one aliphatic or aromatic compound having from 5 to 25 carbon atoms, a distillate fuel or at least one fraction or component thereof, or a mixture thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the phyllosilicate mineral particles are delaminated by the grinding operation of step (b). ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the slurry is ground until the specific surface area or median particle size of the particulate composite materials formed therein reaches a predetermined level therefor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the grinding in step (b) is performed until the temperature of the slurry rises above predetermined level therefor and thereafter the slurry is cooled to a temperature below the predetermined level therefor, and the sequence of grinding the slurry until its temperature rises above the predetermined level therefor and then cooling the slurry to a temperature below the predetermined level therefor is repeated until the specific surface area or median particle size of the particulate composite materials formed therein reaches the predetermined level therefor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the grinding is effected by circulating the slurry through a chamber containing a multiplicity of movable grinding elements, the volume of the grinding elements being at least about 80 percent of the volume of the chamber, and agitating the grinding elements as the slurry circulates through the grinding chamber to apply fracturing forces to the mineral particles trapped between adjacent grinding elements and to thereby form the particulate composite materials. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of withdrawing the slurry from the grinding chamber before the temperature of the slurry exceeds a predetermined level therefor, cooling the slurry to a temperature below the predetermined level therefor and recirculating the cooled slurry through the chamber and agitating the grinding elements as the cooled slurry recirculates through the chamber, and repeating the sequence of withdrawing, cooling, and recirculating and agitating until the specific surface area or median particle size of the particulate composite materials formed therein reaches a predetermined level therefor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) The product formed by the method of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13. ### Claim 15 A particulate material comprising a solid particulate composite of talc particles and an organic material wherein the composite is formed by grinding a slurry containing up to 40 weight percent of talc particles in an organic liquid having a dielectric constant less than 35, and the organic material is present in or formed from the organic liquid during grinding.