Process for preparing agglomerates

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING AGGLOMERATES WHICH COMPRISES: (1) DISSOLVING AN ADHESIVE BINDER IN A VOLATILE SOLVENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AQUEOUS AND NON-AQUEOUS VOLATILE SOLVENTS, AND COMBINATIONS THEREOF; (2) SUSPENDING A MASS OF SOLID MATERIAL IN DISCRETE PARTICLE FORM, SAID PARTICLES BEING FROM ABOUT 2 TO 200 MICRONS IN SIZE, IN AN UPWARDLY FLOWING STREAM OF GAS; (3) MAINTAINING THE DISCRETE PARTICLES IN THE SUSPENDED MASS IN A CONSISTANT STATE OF MOTION WHEREBY THE SAID PARTICLES ARE CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATING THROUGHOUT THE SUSPENDED MASS; (4) INTRODUCING RAPIDLY INTO THE SAID SUSPENDED MASS THE SOLUTION OBTAINED IN STEP (1) ABOVE IN LIQUID DROPLET FORM, THE SAID DROPLETS BEING FROM ABOUT 200 TO ABOUT 2000 MICRONS IN SIZE, THE MAJORITY OF SAID DROPLETS BEING AT LEAST 4 TO 5 TIMES LARGER THAN THE SAID DISCRETE PARTICLES OF SOLID MATERIAL AND THEREBY WETTING DISCRETE PARTICLES IN THE SUSPENDED MASS, WHEREBY THE ADHERENCE TOGETHER OF PARTICLES IS PROMOTED AND AGGLOMERATION OF PARTICLES IS EFFECTED; AND (5) DRYING THE SAID AGLOMERATES BY MEANS OF THE SAID UPWARDLY FLOWING STREAM OF GAS WHILE MAINTAINING THEM IN SUSPENSION IN SAID STREAM OF GAS.