Abstract 1. A METHOD FOR THE DISINTEGRATION OF A LIQUID MATERIAL INTO PARTICULATE FORM AND THE PRODUCTION OF POWDERS THEREBY, WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING THE LIQUID FROM THE VESSEL IN WHICH IT IS CONTAINED, THROUGH A NOZZLE AND INTO A ZONE MAINTAINED AT A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THE PRESSURE OF THE LIQUID WITHIN SAID VESSEL, THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID NOZZLE BEING LESS THAN 0.5 THE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA OF SAID CONTAINMENT VESSEL; INJECTING A NON-DELETERIOUS GAS INTO SAID LIQUID PRIOR TO ITS PASSAGE THROUGH SAID NOZZLE, AT A POINT WHEREIN THE LIQUID IS AT A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF SAID LOWER PRESSURE ZONE, SAID GAS BEING INJECTED AT A RATE BY WHICH SPACED APART BUBBLES ARE FORMED, SAID POINT OF INJECTION BEING SUFFICIENTLY PROXIMATE SAID NOZZLE SO AS TO CAUSE A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID BUBBLES TO BE ENTRAINED WITHIN THE INCREMENT OF LIQUID ENTERING SAID NIZZLE, SAID BUBBLES BEING OF A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN THE EFFECTIVE DIAMETER OF THE NOZZLE OPENING AND CAUSING THE PASSAGE OF LIQUID THROUGH SAID NOZZLE TO BE SUFFICIENTLY RAPID SO THAT THOSE BUBBLES, ENTRAINED WITHIN THE INCREMENT OF LIQUID ENTERING SAID NOZZLE, ARE PREVENTED FROM EXPANDING TO A SUBSTANTIAL EXTENT PRIOR TO THE TIME THE LIQUID HAS LEFT THE NOZZLE, WHEREBY THE RESULTANT EXPANSION OF SAID BUBBLES IN SAID ZONE OF LOWER PRESSURE SUPPLIES A MAJOR PORTION OF THE ENERGY FOR THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE LIQUID MATERIAL INTO FINE DROPLETS, AND QUENCHING SAID DROPLETS IN A FLUID MEDIUM TO PRODUCE SOLID PARTICLES. D R A W I N G
A METHOD FOR THE DISINTEGRATION OF A LIQUID MATERIAL INTO PARTICULATE FORM AND THE PRODUCTION OF POWDERS THEREBY, WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING THE LIQUID FROM THE VESSEL IN WHICH IT IS CONTAINED, THROUGH A NOZZLE AND INTO A ZONE MAINTAINED AT A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THE PRESSURE OF THE LIQUID WITHIN SAID VESSEL, THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID NOZZLE BEING LESS THAN 0.5 THE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA OF SAID CONTAINMENT VESSEL; INJECTING A NON-DELETERIOUS GAS INTO SAID LIQUID PRIOR TO ITS PASSAGE THROUGH SAID NOZZLE, AT A POINT WHEREIN THE LIQUID IS AT A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF SAID LOWER PRESSURE ZONE, SAID GAS BEING INJECTED AT A RATE BY WHICH SPACED APART BUBBLES ARE FORMED, SAID POINT OF INJECTION BEING SUFFICIENTLY PROXIMATE SAID NOZZLE SO AS TO CAUSE A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID BUBBLES TO BE ENTRAINED WITHIN THE INCREMENT OF LIQUID ENTERING SAID NIZZLE, SAID BUBBLES BEING OF A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN THE EFFECTIVE DIAMETER OF THE NOZZLE OPENING AND CAUSING THE PASSAGE OF LIQUID THROUGH SAID NOZZLE TO BE SUFFICIENTLY RAPID SO THAT THOSE BUBBLES, ENTRAINED WITHIN THE INCREMENT OF LIQUID ENTERING SAID NOZZLE, ARE PREVENTED FROM EXPANDING TO A SUBSTANTIAL EXTENT PRIOR TO THE TIME THE LIQUID HAS LEFT THE NOZZLE, WHEREBY THE RESULTANT EXPANSION OF SAID BUBBLES IN SAID ZONE OF LOWER PRESSURE SUPPLIES A MAJOR PORTION OF THE ENERGY FOR THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE LIQUID MATERIAL INTO FINE DROPLETS, AND QUENCHING SAID DROPLETS IN A FLUID MEDIUM TO PRODUCE SOLID PARTICLES.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
249 words
A METHOD FOR THE DISINTEGRATION OF A LIQUID MATERIAL INTO PARTICULATE FORM AND THE PRODUCTION OF POWDERS THEREBY, WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING THE LIQUID FROM THE VESSEL IN WHICH IT IS CONTAINED, THROUGH A NOZZLE AND INTO A ZONE MAINTAINED AT A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THE PRESSURE OF THE LIQUID WITHIN SAID VESSEL, THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID NOZZLE BEING LESS THAN 0.5 THE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA OF SAID CONTAINMENT VESSEL; INJECTING A NON-DELETERIOUS GAS INTO SAID LIQUID PRIOR TO ITS PASSAGE THROUGH SAID NOZZLE, AT A POINT WHEREIN THE LIQUID IS AT A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF SAID LOWER PRESSURE ZONE, SAID GAS BEING INJECTED AT A RATE BY WHICH SPACED APART BUBBLES ARE FORMED, SAID POINT OF INJECTION BEING SUFFICIENTLY PROXIMATE SAID NOZZLE SO AS TO CAUSE A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID BUBBLES TO BE ENTRAINED WITHIN THE INCREMENT OF LIQUID ENTERING SAID NIZZLE, SAID BUBBLES BEING OF A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN THE EFFECTIVE DIAMETER OF THE NOZZLE OPENING AND CAUSING THE PASSAGE OF LIQUID THROUGH SAID NOZZLE TO BE SUFFICIENTLY RAPID SO THAT THOSE BUBBLES, ENTRAINED WITHIN THE INCREMENT OF LIQUID ENTERING SAID NOZZLE, ARE PREVENTED FROM EXPANDING TO A SUBSTANTIAL EXTENT PRIOR TO THE TIME THE LIQUID HAS LEFT THE NOZZLE, WHEREBY THE RESULTANT EXPANSION OF SAID BUBBLES IN SAID ZONE OF LOWER PRESSURE SUPPLIES A MAJOR PORTION OF THE ENERGY FOR THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE LIQUID MATERIAL INTO FINE DROPLETS, AND QUENCHING SAID DROPLETS IN A FLUID MEDIUM TO PRODUCE SOLID PARTICLES.