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US 6,663,954 B2Granted
Method of reducing material size
AssigneeR & D Technology, Inc.
InventorsMichael W. Rouse, Victor M. Deeb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of reducing particle size by the use of a supercritical fluid, generally carbon dioxide. The material is swollen by the supercritical carbon dioxide at a high pressure. After the material has been allowed to swell under a high pressure, the pressure is rapidly dropped. When the external pressure is rapidly dropped, the material explodes as the supercritical gas absorbed into the material rapidly expands outward.
Claims29
A method for reducing the particle size of a material, the method comprising:
- optionally reducing the particle size of said material by a mechanical process, said material comprising an elastomer, a plastomer, an agricultural material, a biological material and/or a forest material;
- swelling said material with a super critical liquid under high pressure;
- and
- reducing said pressure to cause vaporization of said super critical liquid, whereby said material is reduced in particle size by escape of said super critical liquid from said material.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.