Method for micro-sizing organic, inorganic and engineered compounds
AssigneesLiquaJet L.L.C., NitroCision LLC
InventorsWilliam S. Henry, Edwin B. Fay, Ronald R. Warnecke, Gary L. Palmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system are provided herein for forming microparticles from plastic and elastomeric materials that cannot be reduced in size by conventional methods. The system includes a high-pressure liquid nitrogen energy source, a feeder for providing a preferred constant and uninterrupted feed to a mill, a preferred integral injection device to meter the feed into a chamber for milling and/or classification, and a preferred exhaust system for collection of the milled product.
Claims20
A method for milling a material, comprising
- introducing a material to be milled into a milling chamber, wherein the milling chamber has an outer wall, and an inner wall defining a milling area and the material is fed into the milling area;
- introducing a stream of nitrogen to the milling area through an inlet feed jet, wherein the nitrogen stream is fed at a pressure of about 45,000 psi (310 MPa) to about 55,000 psi (379 MPa);
- cutting the material in the milling area with the stream of nitrogen so as to form milled microparticles of the material;
- and
- removing the milled microparticles from the milling area.
A method for milling a material, comprising
- introducing a material to be milled into a milling chamber, wherein the milling chamber has an outer wall, and an inner wall defining a milling area and the material is fed into the milling area;
- introducing a stream of nitrogen to the milling area through an inlet feed jet, wherein the nitrogen stream is a high-pressure liquid nitrogen stream fed at a pressure of about 45,000 psi (310 MPa) to about 55,000 psi (379 MPa) and at a temperature of about −140° C. to about −151° C.;
- cutting the material in the milling area with the stream of nitrogen so as to form milled microparticles of the material;
- and
- removing the milled microparticles from the milling area.
A method for milling a material, comprising
- introducing a material to be milled into a milling chamber, wherein the milling chamber has an outer wall, and an inner wall defining a milling area and the material is fed into the milling area, and wherein the milling chamber has a circular cross-sectional configuration and the stream of nitrogen enters the milling area at a location of the inlet feed jet at an angle to the inner wall of the chamber and as a tangent to a circle concentric with the inner wall of the milling chamber, wherein the concentric circle comprises about 60% to about 85% of a cross-sectional area of the chamber, as measured longitudinally across the chamber;
- introducing a stream of nitrogen to the milling area through an inlet feed jet, wherein the nitrogen stream is fed at a pressure of about 45,000 psi (310 MPa) to about 55,000 psi (379 MPa);
- cutting the material in the milling area with the stream of nitrogen so as to form milled microparticles of the material;
- and
- removing the milled microparticles from the milling area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.