Processing of ferruginous aluminum ores

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE SIMULTANEOUS RECOVERY OF ALUMINA AND METALLIC IRON FROM FERRUGINOUS ALUMINUM ORES CONTAINING ALUMINA, SILICA AND IRON OXIDES WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (A) ADMIXING THE ORE WITH SODIUM CARBONATE, IN QUANTITY AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO FORM SODIUM ALUMINATE ON REACTION WITH THE ALUMINA IN SAID MIXTURE, WITH CALCIUM CARBONATE IN QUANTITY AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO FORM DICALCIUM SILICATE ON REACTION WITH THE SILICA IN SAID MIXTURE AND WITH A CARBON-CONTAINING REDUCING MATERIAL IN QUANTITY AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE IRON OXIDES IN SAID MIXTURE, TO METALLIC IRON, (B) CALCINING SAID MIXTURE WITHIN A TEMPERATURE RANGE OF FROM 800*C. TO 1200*C. ND FORR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT FORMATION OF SODIUM ALUMINATE, DICALCIUM SILICATE AND METALLIC IRON, (C) COMMINUTING SAID CALCINED MIXTURE AND MAGNETICALLY SEPARATING THE METALLIC IRON CONTAINED THEREIN? (D) LEACHING THE CALCINED MIXTURE AFTER SAID IRON SEPARATION WITH AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM AND THEREAFTER SEPARATING THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION SODIUM ALUMINATE THUS OBTAINED FROM THE INSOLUBLE RESIDUE CONTAINING DICALCIUM SILICATE.