Process for producing alkali metal silicates

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR FORMING ALKALI METAL SILICATE COMPOSITIONS OF A GIVEN SILICA: ALKALI METAL OXIDE RATIO, WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF FORMING A MIXTURE CONTAINING SILICA, ALKALI METAL CARBONATE, AND LIQUID ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE IN A CONCENTRATION OF AT LEAST ABOUT 10%, THE INGREDIENTS BEING PROPORTIONED TO PROVIDE SAID GIVEN SILICA: ALKALI METAL OXIDE RATIO, THE QUANTITY OF SAID ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE BEING PREDETERMINED IN RELATION TO THE OTHER REACTANTS TO PROVIDE NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 60% OF THE ALKALI REQUIREMENT OF THE REACTION PRODUCT, SUBJECTING SAID MIXTURE TO AGITATION AT A TEMPERATURE SUCH THAT SAID ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDE IS MAINTAINED IN THE LIQUID STATE, CONTINUING AGITATION OF SAID MIXTURE UNTIL SAID MIXTURE ASSUMES THE PROPERTY OF A DAMP-TO-SUBSTANTIALLY DRY GRANULAR MASS, DELIVERING SAID MASS TO A FURNACE WHEREIN SAID MASS IS HEATED TO TEMPERATURE ABOVE THAT AT WHICH FUSION OF THE REACTION PRODUCT AND SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION OF THE REACTION OF SAID INGREDIENTS TAKES PLACE, AND RECOVERING THE REACTION PRODUCT.