Patent ID: 6365536
Filing Date: 2002-04-02
Classification: B01J,C11B

Abstract:
A method for the manufacture of a bleaching clay which comprises:slurrying particulate palygorskite clay starting material with water to form an aqueous slurry having a clay solids content in the range of about 5 to about 30 weight percent, based on the total weight of the slurry; removing sand from the aqueous slurry to form a beneficiated slurry; conditioning the beneficiated slurry by admixing therewith a conditioning agent selected from the group consisting of a pH modifier, a Lewis acid salt, and mixtures thereof, in an amount in the range of about 0.25 to about 3 weight percent, based on the dry weight of the clay in slurry, so as to adjust the pH of the slurry to a value in the range of about 0.5 to about 6; separating the conditioned slurry into an acidic filtrate and a conditioned clay concentrate having a clay solids content of 15 up to 50 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the concentrate; and drying the conditioned clay to a free flowing particulate mass.