Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
212 words
A continuous process for the production of layered pellets for glass production which comprises the following steps: (a) maintaining in a pelletizing zone of a rotary apparatus a moving bed of recycle pellets, (b) feeding sand and particles of a calcium oxide source into said pelletizing zone, (c) feeding a solution of sodium hydroxide into said pelletizing zone, said recycle pellets being coated with a layer comprised of said solution of sodium hydroxide, said sand and said calcium oxide source and forming layered pellets, (d) passing said layered pellets into a heated drying zone exposed to an atmosphere containing carbon dioxide gas, (e) lifting said layered pellets to the upper part of said drying zone and releasing said layered pellets to separately fall through the drying zone, (f) simultaneously absorbing carbon dioxide onto said layered pellets while evaporating and removing water from said falling layered pellets to form dried layered pellets, said dried layered pellets having a residual moisture content of less than 15 percent by weight, (g) passing said dried layered pellets from the drying zone to a recycling zone, (h) recycling a portion of said dried layered pellets to said pelletizing zone as said recycle pellets, and (i) recovering a portion of said dried layered pellets from said recycle zone.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
212 words
A continuous process for the production of layered pellets for glass production which comprises the following steps: (a) maintaining in a pelletizing zone of a rotary apparatus a moving bed of recycle pellets, (b) feeding sand and particles of a calcium oxide source into said pelletizing zone, (c) feeding a solution of sodium hydroxide into said pelletizing zone, said recycle pellets being coated with a layer comprised of said solution of sodium hydroxide, said sand and said calcium oxide source and forming layered pellets, (d) passing said layered pellets into a heated drying zone exposed to an atmosphere containing carbon dioxide gas, (e) lifting said layered pellets to the upper part of said drying zone and releasing said layered pellets to separately fall through the drying zone, (f) simultaneously absorbing carbon dioxide onto said layered pellets while evaporating and removing water from said falling layered pellets to form dried layered pellets, said dried layered pellets having a residual moisture content of less than 15 percent by weight, (g) passing said dried layered pellets from the drying zone to a recycling zone, (h) recycling a portion of said dried layered pellets to said pelletizing zone as said recycle pellets, and (i) recovering a portion of said dried layered pellets from said recycle zone.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The process of claim 1 in which said layered pellets in said drying zone are heated by passing a stream of gas through said drying zone, said layered pellets in said drying zone being maintained at a temperature in the range from about 70° to about 120° C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 2 in which said carbon dioxide containing gas is an exhaust gas from a glass furnace.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The process of claim 3 in which said gas contains carbon dioxide in an amount of from about 2 to about 30 percent by weight of said exhaust gas.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 1 in which said calcium oxide source is selected from the group consisting of limestone, dolomite, burnt lime, and hydrated lime.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The process of claim 1 in which prior to step (i), a portion of said dried pellets in said recycling zone is passed into a pre-heating zone, maintained at a temperature in the range from about 200° to about 800° C. to produce pre-heated pellets.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 1 in which prior to step (i), a portion of said dried layered pellets is passed into a classifying zone.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 1 or 2 in which said solution of sodium hydroxide contains from about 25 to about 75 percent by weight of NaOH.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 8 in which said calcium oxide source is crushed limestone.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 8 in which said calcium oxide source is hydrated lime.