Method of concentrating slurried kaolin
AssigneeGeorgia Kaolin Company, Inc.
InventorMark S. Willis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A beneficiated kaolin clay slurry is concentrated from a solids content of about 50% to 60% by weight to a solids content of at least 65% by weight by evaporating water therefrom by passing the aqueous clay slurry through one or more non-contact evaporated heat exchangers. The kaolin clay slurry is passed in indirect heat exchange relationship with a heating vapor, with the heating vapor comprising water vapor previously evaporated from the aqueous clay slurry.
Claims11
A method for concentrating solids in an aqueous clay slurry by evaporating water therefrom comprising
- a. passing the aqueous clay slurry through a plurality of evaporative heat exchangers in series flow in indirect heat exchange relationship with a heating vapor, at least a portion of the heating vapor in each of said evaporative heat exchangers comprising the water vapor evaporated from the aqueous clay slurry in passing through another of said adjacent evaporative heat exchangers, except in the downstream-most of the evaporative heat exchangers wherein the heating vapor is supplied from an independent source;
- and
- b. passing the aqueous clay slurry exiting the downstream-most evaporative heat exchanger through at least one flash tank wherein additional water vapor is evaporated from the aqueous clay slurry thereby further concentrating the solids in the aqueous clay slurry.
A method of producing kaolin clay product slurry having a solids content of at least 65% by weight by concentrating solids in a lower solids content beneficiated aqueous kaolin clay slurry comprising passing the lower solids content beneficiated aqueous kaolin clay slurry in indirect heat exchange relationship with a heating vapor so as to evaporate water therefrom without contacting the beneficiated kaolin clay with the heating vapor.
A method of producing a kaolin clay product slurry having a solids content of at least 65% by weight by concentrating solids in a lower solids content beneficiated aqueous kaolin clay slurry comprising passing the lower solids content beneficiated aqueous clay slurry through a plurality of evaporative heat exchangers in series flow in indirect heat exchange relationship with a heating vapor so as to evaporate water therefrom without contacting the beneficiated kaolin clay with the heating vapor, at least a portion of the heating vapor in each of said evaporative heat exchangers comprising the water vapor evaporated from the aqueous clay slurry in passing through another of said adjacent evaporative heat exchangers, except in the downstream-most of the evaporative heat exchangers wherein the heating vapor is supplied from an independent source.
A method of producing a kaolin clay product slurry having a solids content of at least 65% by weight by evaporating water from a lower solids content beneficiated aqueous kaolin clay slurry thereby concentrating the solids therein comprising:
- a. passing the lower solids content beneficiated aqueous kaolin clay slurry through an evaporative heat exchanger in indirect heat exchange relationship with a heating vapor so as to evaporate water therefrom without contacting the beneficiated kaolin clay slurry with the heating vapor;
- and
- b. passing the beneficiated aqueous kaolin clay slurry exiting the evaporative heat exchanger through at least one flash tank wherein additional water vapor is evaporated from the beneficiated aqueous kaolin clay slurry thereby further concentrating solids therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.