Method and apparatus for condensing metal vapours using a nozzle and a molten collector

A method for condensing a vaporous material comprising:

• providing a gas stream comprising the vapour,
• passing the gas stream through a nozzle which has an upstream converging configuration and a downstream diverging configuration so that the vapour accelerates into the nozzle and expands and cools on exiting the nozzle thereby inducing the vapour to condense to form a beam of liquid droplets or solid particles in the condensing chamber,
• wherein the beam of droplets or particles is directed to impinge onto a molten liquid collection medium,
• wherein the liquid collection medium comprises a thin sheet of a first liquid disposed above a second liquid, the sheet being sufficiently thin to be disrupted by impinging condensed droplets or particles, to an extent that the sheet parts in a region corresponding to the impingement so as to reveal a surface of the second liquid so as to permit direct access of the condensed particles or droplets to the underlying second liquid for absorption therein, and wherein the thin sheet remains as a protective covering over a remaining portion of the surface of the second liquid.

A method for condensing a vaporous material comprising:

• providing a gas stream comprising the vapour,
• passing the gas stream through a nozzle which has an upstream converging configuration and a downstream diverging configuration so that the vapour accelerates into the nozzle and expands and cools on exiting the nozzle thereby inducing the vapour to condense to form a beam of liquid droplets or solid particles in the condensing chamber,
• wherein the beam of droplets or particles is directed to impinge onto a molten liquid collection medium,
• wherein the collection medium comprises a moving sheet of liquid.

A method for condensing a vaporous material comprising:

• providing a gas stream comprising the vapour,
• passing the gas stream through a nozzle which has an upstream converging configuration and a downstream diverging configuration so that the vapour accelerates into the nozzle and expands and cools on exiting the nozzle thereby inducing the vapour to condense to form a beam of liquid droplets or solid particles in the condensing chamber,
• wherein the beam of droplets or particles is directed to impinge onto a molten liquid collection medium,
• wherein the collection medium is disposed as a circumferentially circulating bath of liquid.

A method for condensing a vaporous material comprising:

• providing a gas stream comprising the vapour,
• passing the gas stream through a nozzle which has an upstream converging configuration and a downstream diverging configuration so that the vapour accelerates into the nozzle and expands and cools on exiting the nozzle thereby inducing the vapour to condense to form a beam of liquid droplets or solid particles in the condensing chamber,
• wherein the beam of droplets or particles is directed to impinge onto a molten liquid collection medium,
• wherein on exiting the nozzle the condensed droplets or particles form a first cone, the reaction gas and/or carrier gas form at least one further cone with the first cone accommodated inside the second cone and wherein a baffle means is provided around the first cone and substantially inside the further cone so as to provide a physical barrier which helps separate the carrier gas and other remaining gaseous species from the droplets or particles which pass through the baffle into the collection medium.

A method for condensing a vaporous material comprising:

• providing a gas stream comprising the vapour,
• passing the gas stream through a nozzle which has an upstream converging configuration and a downstream diverging configuration so that the vapour accelerates into the nozzle and expands and cools on exiting the nozzle thereby inducing the vapour to condense to form a beam of liquid droplets or solid particles in the condensing chamber,
• wherein the beam of droplets or particles is directed to impinge onto a molten liquid collection medium,
• wherein the beam of droplets or particles impinges onto the collection medium at an oblique angle with respect to the medium surface, and
• wherein the collection medium is disposed in a circumferentially circulating molten bath.

A method for condensing a vaporous material comprising:

• providing a gas stream comprising the vapour,
• passing the gas stream through a nozzle which has an upstream converging configuration and a downstream diverging configuration so that the vapour accelerates into the nozzle and expands and cools on exiting the nozzle thereby inducing the vapour to condense to form a beam of liquid droplets or solid particles in the condensing chamber,
• wherein the beam of droplets or particles is directed to impinge onto a molten liquid collection medium,
• wherein the collection medium comprises a liquid having a lower specific gravity than the condensed liquid material, which condensed liquid material is continuously or intermittently tapped from a collection medium reservoir and directed without intermediate solidification to a casting stage or alloying stage or other forming stage.