Patent · US Expired

Clay agglomeration process

US4343751A · kind A · utility

50Cited by
3References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 15, 1980
Grant dateAug 10, 1982
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 15, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P40/60
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An agglomeration process in which clay fines alone or in combination with other materials are agglomerated to a usable pellet size for a variety of marketable end products. The clay fines are collected, prepared and blended with conditioners and/or other waste materials in the proportions necessary to produce the desired pellet characteristics. The blended materials are preweighed and measured, permitting batch feeding to the agglomerator. The agglomerated pellets are dried and screened, with the oversize pellets being passed through a granulator to reduce their size and then being rescreened, and the undersized pellets being recycled to the collecting step for reagglomeration. Hence, the process provides pellets of relatively uniform size with little or no waste from the agglomeration procedure. The pellets may be impregnated or coated with a variety of substances, including fertilizers, pesticides, odor reducing substances, and colorants to provide a variety of different end products, including cat box filler, fertilizers, soil conditioners and floor absorbent.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.