CRYSTALLINE SILICA-FREE DIATOMACEOUS EARTH BLENDED FILTER AIDS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

1 . A filter aid comprising calcined and milled diatomaceous earth and expanded perlite in a ratio of about 100:0 to about 20:80, wherein the filter aid comprises less than about 1 percent by weight total of crystalline silica and having a permeability ranging from about 0.2 darcy to about 2.5 darcy.

2 . The filter aid of claim 1 , comprising less than about 0.1% by weight of respirable crystalline silica.

3 . A method of producing diatomaceous earth blended filter aids, wherein the method comprises:

milling diatomaceous earth ore to a size range of between about 100 micrometers and about 500 micrometers;

calcining the milled diatomaceous earth;

milling the calcined diatomaceous earth in an adjustable milling and classification system to produce finished diatomaceous earth having a selectable particle size distribution; and

blending the finished diatomaceous earth with expanded perlite to form a diatomaceous earth blend filter aid.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the finished diatomaceous earth and expanded perlite components are present in the filter aid in a ratio of about 100:0 to about 20:80.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said calcining step utilizes a calciner adapted to maintain a hot zone temperature between about 900° C. and about 980° C.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the milled diatomaceous earth remains in the hot zone of the calciner for between about 10 minutes and about 60 minutes.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the calciner is adapted to maintain the milled diatomaceous earth in a hot zone for a time and at a temperature adapted to harden the diatomaceous earth without forming cristobalite or any other form of crystalline silica.

8 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of directing the diatomaceous earth ore having a particle size less than about 100 micrometers to a conventional diatomaceous earth filter aid process for processing.

9 . The method of claim 3 , wherein calcining the milled diatomaceous earth is done in the presence of about 8% excess oxygen to about 20% excess oxygen.

10 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the finished diatomaceous earth and perlite components are blended using a ribbon blender.

11 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of classifying the milled diatomaceous earth ore to remove any diatomaceous earth ore smaller than about 100 micrometers prior to said calcining step.

12 . Diatomaceous earth blended filter aids made by the method of claim 3 .

13 . Diatomaceous earth blended filter aids comprising milled and calcined diatomaceous earth that was milled to a size range of between about 100 micrometers and about 500 micrometers prior to calcining and that was calcined at a temperature between about 900° C. and about 980° C., and wherein the calcined diatomaceous earth is further milled following calcining to produce diatomaceous earth filter aids having a selectable particle size distribution and blended with expanded perlite, wherein the diatomaceous earth and perlite are present in a ratio of about 100:0 to about 20:80.

14 . The diatomaceous earth blended filter aids of claim 13 , wherein, the diatomaceous earth blended filter aids have selectable permeabilities between about 0.2 darcy and about 2.5 darcy.

15 . A diatomaceous earth blended filter aid processing system comprising:

a first milling and classification system adapted to mill diatomaceous earth ore to produce a milled diatomaceous earth ore having a size range of between about 100 micrometers and about 500 micrometers, the first milling and classification system having a closed-circuit loop;

a calciner adapted to maintain the milled diatomaceous earth ore at a temperature between about 900° C. and about 980° C. for a time selected to limit the formation of crystalline silica, wherein the calciner is adapted to produce calcined diatomaceous earth having less than about 1 percent by weight of crystalline silica;

and about 0.1% by weight of respirable crystalline silica; and

a second finish milling and classification system adapted to receive said calcined diatomaceous earth and to produce diatomaceous earth filter aids; wherein the diatomaceous earth filter aid is blended with perlite to form a diatomaceous earth blended filter aid.

16 . The diatomaceous earth blended filter aid processing system of claim 15 , wherein the finish milling and classification system includes at least one adjustable element adapted to selectively mill the calcined diatomaceous earth to a desired particle size distribution.

17 . The diatomaceous earth blended filter aid processing system of claim 15 , wherein the milling and classification loop and the finish milling and classification system are adapted to cooperatively enable production of a range of diatomaceous earth blended filter aids having permeabilities ranging from about 0.2 darcy to about 2.5 darcy.

18 . The diatomaceous earth blended filter aid processing system of claim 15 , wherein the milling and classification loop includes a classification discharge adapted to remove diatomaceous earth particles smaller than about 100 micrometers.

19 . The diatomaceous earth blended filter aid processing system of claim 15 , wherein the diatomaceous earth blended filter aid comprises less than about 1% by weight crystalline silica and less than about 0.1% by weight respirable crystalline silica.

20 . The diatomaceous earth blended filter aid processing system of claim 15 , wherein the particle size range of the diatomaceous earth blended filter aid is in the range of about 100 to about 500 micrometers.

21 . A method for producing a diatomaceous earth blended filter aid comprising the steps of:

first creating diatomaceous earth with a permeability in the range of about 0.1 darcy to about 0.5 darcy with a content of less than about 1% by weight of crystalline silica and less than about 0.1% by weight of respirable silica;

blending the diatomaceous earth with expanded perlite having a permeability in the range of about 2.5 darcy to about 5.0 darcy; wherein the diatomaceous earth and the perlite are blended in a ratio of about 100:0 to about 20:80 to achieve an end product having a permeability in the range of greater than about 0.2 to about 2.5 darcy and wherein the diatomaceous earth blended filter aid comprises less than about 1% by weight of crystalline silica and less than about 0.1% by weight of respirable crystalline silica.

22 . A method of making a diatomaceous earth blended filter aid having permeability in the range of about 0.2 Darcy to about 2.5 Darcy, a crystalline silica content of less than about 1%, and less than about 0.1% by weight of respirable crystalline silica, comprising the steps of:

first creating diatomaceous earth with a permeability in the range of about 0.1 darcy to about 0.5 darcy with a content of less than about 1% by weight of crystalline silica and less than about 0.1% by weight of respirable crystalline silica;

blending the diatomaceous earth with expanded perlite having a permeability in the range of about 2.5 darcy to about 5.0 darcy; and

wherein the method does not include flash calcination or using flux during calcination.