Method of improving fluid properties of finely divided materials

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR IMPROVING THE FLUID PROPERTIES OF A POWDERED SOLID CATALYTIC MATERIAL COMPRISING A METAL COMPOUND OF AN AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE OF LESS THAN 25 MICRONS FOR FLOWING SAME INTO PELLETING MOLDS AND FOR PELLETING SAME, WHICH COMPRISES FORMING AN INTIMATE DRY MIXTURE OF SAID CATALYTIC MATERIAL WITH A NORMALLY SOLID COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL WHICH MELTS AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE CONDISERABLY LOWER THAN THE MELTING POINT OF SAID CATALYTIC MATERIAL IN AN AMOUNT IN THE RANGE OF 5 TO 25 WEIGHT PERCENT OF SAID CATALYTIC MATERIAL; HEATING SAID DRY MIXTURE SO AS TO MELT SAID SOLID COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL AND FORM A LIQUID COATING ON SAID CATALYTIC MATERIAL; COOLING SAID MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF SAID COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL, THEREBY RENDERING THE RESULTING MIXTURE MORE FLUID AND BETTER ADAPTED TO FLOW INTO SMALL PELLETING DIES; AND PELLETING SAID MIXTURE BY FLOWING SAME INTO SMALL DIES AND COMPRESSING SAME THEREIN.