Apparatus and method for vortex air flow material grinding

A method for grinding a material, comprising:

• introducing a material into an apparatus including
• a cylindrical lower chamber including an annular side wall, an upper surface, and a lower surface, the annular side wall, the upper surface, and the lower surface of the lower chamber collectively defining an open interior of the lower chamber, and the upper surface further defining a central opening,
• an upper chamber including a conical sidewall defining an upper opening and a lower opening, the conical sidewall decreasing in circumference along the entire lateral surface of the upper chamber as the conical sidewall extends from the lower opening to the upper opening such that the upper chamber has an inverted conical shape with the lower opening having a greater circumference than the upper opening, the conical sidewall terminating at the upper opening for allowing ground material to exit the apparatus at the upper opening, and the lower opening mounted on top of and in fluid communication with the central opening of the lower chamber such that the upper chamber is positioned entirely above the lower chamber,
• one or more air knife assemblies operably connected to the annular side wall of the lower chamber, the one or more air knife assemblies for injecting air into the open interior of the lower chamber to thereby create a vortex air flow in the lower chamber that extends upward into the upper chamber;
• and
• a control valve operably connected to and positioned at the upper opening of the upper chamber, the control valve for allowing ground material to exit the apparatus;
• injecting an amount of compressed air into the cylindrical lower chamber to create an air vortex in the lower chamber extending upward into the inverted conical-shaped upper chamber, such that introduced material entrained in the air vortex tumbles against itself and is pulverized;
• and
• processing the material in the air vortex for a period of time sufficient to pulverize the material to a desired size.