Producing particle dispersions

An improvement in an apparatus for producing a particle dispersion utilizing a mill having a rotor mounted for rotation within a containment wall for processing particle-carrying feedstock passed from a supply vessel into a bed of media contained within the containment wall, the containment wall extending longitudinally between an inlet end and a longitudinally opposite terminal end, the improvement comprising:

• an auxiliary chamber having a chamber wall surrounding the containment wall such that particle-carrying feedstock will pass from the bed of media, through the containment wall and into the auxiliary chamber while the media is contained within the bed of media;
• and
• an external pumping mechanism communicating with the auxiliary chamber at a location juxtaposed with the containment wall between the inlet end and the terminal end of the containment wall, for drawing the particle-carrying feedstock from the supply vessel, into the bed of media, thence from the bed of media through the containment wall into the auxiliary chamber, and then out of the auxiliary chamber and returned to the supply vessel, during the processing of the particle-carrying feedstock.

A method for producing a particle dispersion utilizing a mill having a rotor mounted for rotation within a containment wall for processing particle-carrying feedstock passed from a supply vessel into a bed of media contained within the containment wall, the containment wall extending longitudinally between an inlet end and a longitudinally opposite terminal end, the method comprising:

• surrounding the containment wall with an auxiliary chamber having a chamber wall such that particle-carrying feedstock will pass from the bed of media, through the containment wall and into the auxiliary chamber while the media is contained within the bed of media;
• and
• establishing a pressure differential for drawing the particle-carrying feedstock from the supply vessel into the bed of media, thence from the bed of media through the containment wall into the auxiliary chamber, and then out of the auxiliary chamber at a location juxtaposed with the containment wall between the inlet end and the terminal end of the containment wall for return to the supply vessel during the processing of the particle-carrying feedstock.