Saturated liquid/vapor generating and dispensing

A process for generating in a pressure vessel a ready supply of a saturated vapor of a normally liquid active substance in an inert carrier gas under pressure and dispensing vapor intermittently from the supply, comprising,

• providing and maintaining under a predetermined controlled pressure a body of said active liquid substance and an overlying atmosphere of saturated vapor in a space above said liquid at at least the height of liquid,
• dispensing under said pressure, over a period of time, a continuous series of intermittent doses each of a volume not greater than one-third the volume of said vapor space,
• simultaneously with the dispensing of each dose, bubbling carrier gas under said controlled pressure into a bottom zone of said liquid in minute bubbles having an initial size not greater than about 25 microns in diameter whereby intimate intercontact is made between the gas and the liquid and a saturated vapor is formed and conveyed to the vapor space in an amount to replace the dose dispensed,
• maintaining a head of liquid above said bubbling zone of at least about 8 inches whereby the intercontact time between the gas bubbles and liquid is such as to ensure the presence in the vapor space of a true saturated vapor to the exclusion of liquid.

A process for generating in a pressure vessel a ready supply of a saturated vapor of a normally liquid active substance in an inert carrier gas under pressure and dispensing vapor intermittently from the supply, comprising,

• providing in the vessel a body of said active liquid substance and an overlying atmosphere of saturated vapor in a space above said liquid,
• dispensing the saturated vapor intermittently in a series of predetermined doses,
• simultaneously with the dispensing of each dose, bubbling carrier gas under pressure into a bottom zone through a sintered metal partition having pores opening into the liquid not exceeding a mean diameter of about 10 microns whereby the gas is introduced into the liquid in the form of minute bubbles,
• maintaining a relationship between the depth of the vapor space, the head of liquid above the bubbling zone, the relative volume of each dose to that of the vapor space, and the initial size of the bubbles so as to ensure the presence in the vapor space of a true saturated vapor to the exclusion of liquid.