Method for improving rheological properties of kaolin clays
AssigneeECC International Limited
InventorsMichael W. Ginn, Gary L. Cobb
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Abstract
A method for beneficiating a kaolin clay which includes quantities of smectite contaminants to reduce the low and high shear viscosities of high solids aqueous slurries of the kaolin. The smectite is converted into a pillared clay by intercalating it with a polymeric cationic hydroxy metal complex wherein the metal is ferromagnetic or diamagnetic. The kaolin and pillared smectite is then subjected as an aqueous slurry to high intensity magnetic separation, to separate the pillared smectite, and the beneficiated kaolin is recovered as product.
Claims9
A method for beneficiating a kaolin clay which includes quantities of smectite contaminants to reduce the low and high shear viscosities of high solids aqueous slurries of said kaolin, comprising:
- converting the smectite into a pillared smectite by intercalating said smectite with a polymeric cationic hydroxy metal complex wherein said metal is ferromagnetic or diamagnetic;
- subjecting the said kaolin and pillared smectite as an aqueous slurry to high intensity magnetic separation, to separate the pillared smectite from the remaining kaolin clay;
- and
- recovering the beneficiated kaolin as product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.