Process for the treatment of a liquid mass

A process for the treatment of a liquid mass comprising the steps of providing a container having gas-permeable bottom and side walls made from a porous fritted material or perforated by narrow ducts, causing a pressurized gas to flow through said walls, disposing said liquid mass in the vicinity of said walls, whereby a pressurized gaseous film supporting said mass is formed separating said liquid mass from said walls and raising, positioning or moulding said mass without any contact thereof with said walls, said gas being chemically inert with respect to said liquid mass and the material from which said wall is made, and said mass being kept away from the bottom and side walls of the container in order to permit the passage of the gas used for forming said pressurized gaseous film.

A process for shaping a material by zone melting starting from a solid member comprising the steps of providing a gas-permeable sleeve open at each end, said sleeve being made from a gas-permeable porous fritted material or perforated by narrow ducts, causing a pressurized gas to flow through said sleeve, disposing said member in said sleeve, whereby a pressurized gaseous film supporting said member is formed separating said member from said sleeve, progressively displacing said sleeve with respect to said member while heating said sleeve to melt that part of said member adjacent said sleeve, the liquified part of said member being kept remote from the walls of said sleeve by said pressurized gas, said gas being chemically inert with respect to said member and the material from which said sleeve is made.

A process for production of a solid member by vertical drawing from a liquid mass comprising the steps of providing a gas-permeable sleeve open at each end, said sleeve being made from a gas permeable porous fritted material or perforated by narrow ducts, causing a pressurized gas to flow through said sleeve, disposing said liquid mass in said sleeve while heating said sleeve whereby a pressurized gaseous film supporting said mass is formed separating said liquid mass from said sleeve, and vertically drawing said mass without any contact thereof with said sleeve, said gas being chemically inert with respect to said liquid mass and the material from which said sleeve is made.

A process for the treatment of a liquid mass comprising the steps of providing an apparatus having at least one gas-permeable wall, made from a porous fritted material or perforated by narrow ducts, causing a pressurized gas to flow through said wall, disposing said liquid mass in the vicinity of said wall whereby a pressurized gaseous film supporting said mass is formed separating said liquid mass from said wall, and suspending said liquid mass by application of a spatial micro-gravity force field, to elevate said mass between opposed porous walls on the surfaces of which said gaseous film is formed, said gas being chemically inert with respect to said liquid mass and the material from which said wall is made.