Method and apparatus for degassing gas contaminated particulate material
AssigneeKelsey-Hayes Company
InventorWalter J. Rozmus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method are disclosed for cleaning contaminated particulate material, such as, gas contaminated powder metal. Degassification is accomplished by introducing contaminated particulate material into a vacuum chamber which is connected to a vacuum pump. One or more electric fields are produced within the vacuum chamber by applying a potential across one or more sets of electrodes. The electrical field charges the contaminants and excites them so that the contaminants are separated for the particulate material and, in the case of a gaseous contaminant, are more easily removed from the vacuum chamber.
Claims38
An apparatus for cleaning contaminated particulate material which is at least in part contaminated by gaseous contaminants, said apparatus comprising:
- a vacuum chamber, vacuum pump means for evacuating said vacuum chamber, means for generating an electric field within said vacuum chamber, gas outlet means connected to said vacuum pump means through which gaseous contaminants can be removed from said vacuum chamber, inlet means for introducing gas contaminated particulate material into said vacuum chamber and for subjecting said particulate material to said electric field whereby said gaseous contaminants are electrically charged to cause separation of said gaseous contaminants from said particulate material and said gaseous contaminants are excited by said electric field to facilitate removal of said gaseous contaminants from said vacuum chamber through said gas outlet means, particulate material outlet means for conducting particulate material out of said chamber and means for receiving and collecting decontaminated particulate material through said particulate material outlet means and for maintaining said particulate material in a substantially decontaminated state.
An apparatus for degassing gas contaminated powder metal comprising:
- a vacuum chamber, vacuum pump means for evacuating said chamber, electric field producing means for producing an electric field within said vacuum chamber, gas outlet means connected to said vacuum pump means through which gaseous contaminants can be removed from said vacuum chamber, supply means for introducing gas contaminated powder metal into said vacuum chamber to subject the powder metal to said electric field to separate said gaseous contaminants from said powder metal and to increase their kinetic energy, powder outlet means for conducting powder out of said vacuum chamber and means for receiving and collecting degassed powder metal through said powder outlet means from said vacuum chamber and maintaining said powder metal in a substantially degassed state.
An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 including electrically charged means for moving charged contaminants away from said powder metal.
An apparatus for degassing gas contaminated particulate material comprising:
- a vacuum chamber including a generally cylindrical sleeve, an end cap at each end of said sleeve, said end caps having a groove for receiving the ends of said sleeve, sealing means in said grooves, and tie bars between said end caps tensioned to perfect the seal between said sleeve and said end caps;
- one of said caps including an inlet for introducing a gas contaminated particulate material into said chamber and a gas outlet for removing gaseous contaminants from said chamber and the other of said caps including an outlet for removing essentially degassed particulate material from said chamber, vacuum pump means connected to said gas outlet for evacuating said vacuum chamber, electric field producing means for producing an electric field within said vacuum chamber to charge and excite any gaseous contaminants thereby separating the charged gaseous contaminants from the particulate material and facilitating their removal through said gas outlet.
A method for degassing gas contaminated particulate material comprising the steps of:
- a. introducing gas-contaminated particulate material into a vacuum chamber which is being continuously evacuated by a vacuum pump,
- b. subjecting the gas-contaminated particulate material to an electric field to charge the gaseous contaminants thus causing them to separate from the particulate material,
- c. removing the charged gaseous contaminants from the vacuum chamber, and
- d. collecting the essentially decontaminated particulate material and maintaining the same in a substantially decontaminated state.
A method of cleaning and degassing contaminated powder metal consisting of the steps of:
- a. introducing contaminated powder metal into a vacuum chamber,
- b. subjecting the powder metal to an electric field to charge the powder and contaminants to separate the contaminants therefrom and
- c. simultaneously evacuating the vacuum chamber by means of a suitable vacuum pump to remove separated contaminants.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.