Patent attributes
A process for the treatment of a silicate mineral, includes: preparing a first composition including an alkali metal magnesium orthosilicate and optionally either (i) magnesium oxide or (ii) an alkali metal silicate, by reaction, at a temperature from 500 to 1200° C., of an alkali metal carbonate compound, which compound is an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate or a mixture thereof, with a magnesium silicate, the molar ratio of alkali metal carbonate compound, expressed as alkali metal oxide of the formula R2O, in which R represents an alkali metal, to magnesium silicate, expressed as silicon dioxide, of the formula SiO2, being from 4:1 to 1:4, and contacting the first composition with water to produce a second composition comprising an amorphous magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S—H).
