Cooling fragmented material before milling
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorDirk Meyer
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Abstract
According to the present invention fragmented material 2, e.g. made from a material having Polyamides, is passing through a liquid bath 6 filled with liquid nitrogen 7 to cool the fragmented material 2 before entering a mill 10 for grinding the fragmented material 2. The fragmented material 2 is moved through the liquid bath 6 by exciting mechanical vibrations in the liquid bath 6 e.g. by a vibrational motor 28 coupled to the liquid bath 6 and/or an ultrasonic resonator 26 attached to the liquid bath 6. The invention allows to grind even materials being difficult to grind by reaching a temperature of −150° C. and less before entering the mill 10 while avoiding a direct cooling e.g, by introducing liquid nitrogen directly into the mill 10.
Claims11
A method for grinding fragmented material, comprising:
- providing an amount of the fragmented material at a material inlet to a liquid bath of liquid nitrogen,
- transporting the fragmented material from the material inlet to a material outlet of the liquid bath by exciting mechanical vibrations in the liquid bath,
- directly guiding fragmented material from the material outlet to a mill via a chute;
- and
- grinding the fragmented material in the mill to a grinded material,
- wherein the mechanical vibrations are ultrasonic vibrations.
An installation for grinding fragmented material, comprising:
- a liquid bath being providable with liquid nitrogen, the liquid bath having a material inlet at a first end through which fragmented material is providable into the liquid bath and a material outlet at a second end opposite the first end through which fragmented material exits;
- an ultrasonic resonator connected to the bath such that ultrasonic vibration excitation of fragmented material within the liquid bath transports the material from the material inlet of the liquid bath to the material outlet of the liquid bath;
- and
- a chute directly connecting the material outlet of the liquid bath to a mill for grinding the fragmented material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.