Process of sintering aluminum containing minerals

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A SINTER CONTAINING SOLUBLE SODIUM ALUMINATE AND INSOLUBLE DICALCIUM SILICATE FROM A MATERIAL IN WHICH ALUMINA IS CHEMICALLY COMBINED WITH SILICA, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES: FORMING A FINELY GROUND MIXTURE OF AN ALKALINE EARTH OXIDE, AND ALKALI METAL OXIDE, AND A MATERIAL IN WHICH ALUMINA IS CHEMICALLY COMBINED WITH SILICA, SIMULTANEOUSLY HEATING SAID MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE FUSING POINT OF SAID ALKALI METAL OXIDE WHILE AGITATING SAID MIXTURE SO AS TO REACT SAID ALKALI METAL OXIDE WITHIN SAID MIXTURE WITH SAID MATERIAL AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME RATE AT WHICH SAID ALKALI METAL OXIDE FUSES IN ORDER TO FORM LUMPS OF INTERMEDIATE ALKALI METAL ALUMINUM SILICATES AS SAID ALKALI METAL OXIDE FUSES, SAID LUMPS BEING NOT GREATER THAN ABOUT ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER, AND FURTHER HEATING SAID MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE GREATER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID INITIAL HEATING SO AS TO BREAK DOWN SAID INTERMEDIATE SILICATES AND FORM A SINTER CONTAINING AN ALKALI METAL ALUMINATE AND AN ALKALINE EARTH SILICATE.