Preparing sorptive siliceous particles

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CONVERTING WET SILICEOUS PARTICLES CONSISTING PREDOMINANTLY OF WATER, MOST OF THE SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE PARTICLES BEING SILICA, INTO DEHYDRATED HIGH SURFACE AREA SILICEOUS PARTICLES CONTAINING LESS THAN 33% WATER AND HAVING A SIZE PREDETERMINED BY THE SIZE OF THE WET SILICEOUS PARTICLES WHICH METHOD CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF THE STEPS OF: DIRECTING A GAS STREAM THROUGH A HEATING ZONE TO PROVIDE A PREHEATED GAS STREAM, SAID PREHEATED GAS STEAM CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AIR, STEAM, AND AMMONIA, AND SAID GAS STREAM RESULTING FROM THE SATURATION OF AIR WITH THE VAPORS FROM AQUEOUS AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE; PASSING THROUGH A BED OF SILICEOUS PARTICLES CONSISTING INITIALLY PREDOMINANTLY OF WATER, MOST OF THE SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE PARTICLES BEING SILICA, SAID PREHEATED GAS STREAM CONTAINING AMMONIA AND STEAM, THEREBY BRINGING ABOUT THE DEHYDRATION OF THE PARTICLES; CONTINUING SUCH PASSAGE OF THE PREHEATED, AMMONIA-CONTAINING GAS FOR ABOUT THREE HOURS DURING AT LEAST TWO HOURS OF WHICH THE BED OF PARTICLES IS MAINTAINED BY SUCH PREHEATED GAS AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE FROM 850 TO 1050*F.; AND WITHDRAWING FROM THE BED CRUSH-RESISTANT SILICEOUS PARTICLES, A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGH PROPORTION BEING OF SAID PREDETERMINED SIZE THAN IN A SIMILAR METHOD OMITTING THE AMMONIA DURING THE DEHYDRATION OF THE PARTICLES.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CONVERTING WET SILICEOUS PARTICLES CONSISTING PREDOMINANTLY OF WATER, MOST OF THE SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE PARTICLES BEING SILICA, INTO DEHYDRATED HIGH SURFACE AREA SILICEOUS PARTICLES CONTAINING LESS THAN 33% WATER AND HAVING A SIZE PREDETERMINED BY THE SIZE OF THE WET SILICEOUS PARTICLES WHICH METHOD CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF THE STEPS OF: DIRECTING A GAS STREAM THROUGH A HEATING ZONE TO PROVIDE A PREHEATED GAS STREAM, SAID PREHEATED GAS STEAM CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AIR, STEAM, AND AMMONIA, AND SAID GAS STREAM RESULTING FROM THE SATURATION OF AIR WITH THE VAPORS FROM AQUEOUS AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE; PASSING THROUGH A BED OF SILICEOUS PARTICLES CONSISTING INITIALLY PREDOMINANTLY OF WATER, MOST OF THE SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE PARTICLES BEING SILICA, SAID PREHEATED GAS STREAM CONTAINING AMMONIA AND STEAM, THEREBY BRINGING ABOUT THE DEHYDRATION OF THE PARTICLES; CONTINUING SUCH PASSAGE OF THE PREHEATED, AMMONIA-CONTAINING GAS FOR ABOUT THREE HOURS DURING AT LEAST TWO HOURS OF WHICH THE BED OF PARTICLES IS MAINTAINED BY SUCH PREHEATED GAS AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE FROM 850 TO 1050*F.; AND WITHDRAWING FROM THE BED CRUSH-RESISTANT SILICEOUS PARTICLES, A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGH PROPORTION BEING OF SAID PREDETERMINED SIZE THAN IN A SIMILAR METHOD OMITTING THE AMMONIA DURING THE DEHYDRATION OF THE PARTICLES.