Nepheline syenite powder with controlled particle size and novel method of making same

Abstract

An ultra-fine inorganic powder for use as a filler and formed from a hard, naturally occurring mined material, in particular nepheline syenite, where the powder has a targeted controlled maximum particle size of less than 5 microns and a generally uncontrolled minimum particle size.

1 . An ultra-fine inorganic powder for use as a filler and formed from a hard, naturally occurring mined material having substantially no free silica, said powder having a targeted controlled maximum particle size of less than 5 microns and a generally uncontrolled minimum particle size creating a targeted minimum particle size of zero microns. 
     
     
         2 . An ultra-fine powder as defined in  claim 1  wherein said powder has a Mohs number of 6. 
     
     
         3 . An ultra-fine powder as defined in  claim 1  wherein said powder contains the mineral feldspar. 
     
     
         4 . An ultra-fine powder as defined in  claim 3  wherein a majority of said powder contains at least one feldspar mineral. 
     
     
         5 . An ultra-fine powder as defined in  claim 3  wherein said powder is syenitic. 
     
     
         6 . An ultra-fine powder as defined in  claim 1  wherein said powder is syenitic. 
     
     
         7 . An ultra-fine powder as defined in  claim 3  wherein said powder is nepheline syenite. 
     
     
         8 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder defined in  claim 7  wherein said powder has a D99 particle size of less than 5 microns. 
     
     
         9 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 8  wherein said powder has a D99 particle size in the range of about 2 microns to about 4 microns. 
     
     
         10 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 7  wherein said powder has a D99 particle size in the range of about 2 microns to about 4 microns. 
     
     
         11 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 7  wherein said targeted maximum particle size is in the general range of 2-4 microns. 
     
     
         12 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 8  wherein said powder is produced in vertical stirred mill. 
     
     
         13 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 12  wherein said vertical stirred mill is operated in the wet mode. 
     
     
         14 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 7  wherein said powder is produced in vertical stirred mill. 
     
     
         15 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 14  wherein said vertical stirred mill is operated in the wet mode. 
     
     
         16 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 11  wherein said powder is produced from a pre-processed nepheline syenite powder with a maximum particle size D99 in the range of 20-100 microns, and a moisture content of less than 0.8% by weight. 
     
     
         17 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 8  wherein said powder is produced from a pre-processed nepheline syenite powder with a maximum particle size D99 in the range of 20-100 microns, and a moisture content of less than 0.8% by weight. 
     
     
         18 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 7  wherein said powder is produced from a pre-processed nepheline syenite powder with a maximum particle size D99 in the range of 20-100 microns, and a moisture content of less than 0.8% by weight. 
     
     
         19 . The ultra-free nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 7  wherein said powder has a particle size distribution with a narrow particle size spread between the D99 particle size and the D1 particle size. 
     
     
         20 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 19  wherein said D99 particle size is in the range of about 2-4 microns. 
     
     
         21 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 9  wherein the targeted maximum particle size is a D99 particle size of about 2 microns. 
     
     
         22 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 7  wherein the targeted maximum particle size is a D99 particle size of about 2 microns. 
     
     
         23 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder defined in  claim 7  wherein the targeted maximum particle size is a D99 particle size of about 4 microns. 
     
     
         24 . A filler for a coating comprising an ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 9 . 
     
     
         25 . A filler for a coating comprising an ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 7 . 
     
     
         26 . A coating comprising a filler as defined in  claim 25 . 
     
     
         27 . A coating comprising a filler as defined in  claim 24 . 
     
     
         28 . An ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder having a targeted controlled maximum particle size of less than 5 microns and a generally uncontrolled minimum particle size of zero microns, wherein the D50 particles size of said powder is less than 1 micron. 
     
     
         29 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 28  wherein said maximum particle size is in the general range of about 2-4 microns. 
     
     
         30 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 28  wherein said maximum particle size has a targeted particle size of about 2 microns. 
     
     
         31 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 28  wherein said maximum particle size has a targeted particle size of about 4 microns. 
     
     
         32 . An ultra-fine inorganic powder for use as a filler and formed from a hard, naturally occurring mined material having feldspar as its major mineral and having substantially no free silica, said powder having a targeted controlled maximum particle size of less than 5 microns and a generally uncontrolled minimum particle size creating a targeted minimum particle size of zero microns. 
     
     
         33 . An ultra-fine powder as defined in  claim 32  wherein said powder is syenitic. 
     
     
         34 . An ultra-fine powder as defined in  claim 33  wherein said powder is nepheline syenite. 
     
     
         35 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder defined in  claim 32  wherein said powder has a D99 particle size of less than 5 microns. 
     
     
         36 . The ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder as defined in  claim 35  wherein said powder has a D99 particle size in the range of about 2 microns to about 4 microns.