Method of chilling a photographic emulsion

A method of chilling and gelling a liquid, photographic emulsion comprising:

• feeding said liquid, photographic emulsion into a chamber defined by a housing;
• injecting into the chamber through at least one nozzle, coupled to the housing, a coolant under conditions to convert said liquid to a gel, wherein said coolant is gaseous at ambient room temperature and atmospheric pressure;
• agitating the emulsion during said injecting to cause said photographic emulsion to gel in particulate form;
• and
• removing the gelled, photographic emulsion in particulate form from the chamber.

A method of chilling and gelling a liquid, photographic emulsion comprising

• feeding said liquid, photographic emulsion into a chamber defined by a housing and sealing the chamber;
• injecting into the chamber through a plurality of nozzles, coupled to the housing, 0.3 to 0.5 pounds of carbon dioxide coolant per pound of emulsion to cool said emulsion from 35.degree. C.-46.degree. C. to about 7.degree. C. in a period of 2 to 15 minutes and thereby convert the liquid to a gel;
• venting any gaseous carbon dioxide not absorbed by said emulsion from the housing;
• agitating said emulsion during said injecting with a pair of generally parallel rotating screws which move said emulsion circuitously around the chamber and causes said photographic emulsion to gel in particulate form;
• discontinuing said injecting when substantially all of said emulsion is in gel form, while continuing said agitating to insure said venting is substantially complete;
• and
• discontinuing said agitating and removing said gelled, photographic emulsion in particulate form from the chamber.