Method for increasing production volume of fine particles using forced thin film fluid treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539642-B2
Application number	US-201214123051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2012
Priority date	May 28, 2011
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A method for increasing the production of fine particles is provided. The method uses at least two types of fluids to be processed, a raw material fluid containing at least one type of fine particle raw material and a fluid for treating the fine particle raw material. Fine particles are obtained by mixing the fluids to be processed in a thin film fluid formed between at least two processing surfaces which are disposed to be faced with each other so as to be able to approach to and separate from each other, at least one of which rotates relative to the other. The production of the fine particles is increased by introducing the raw material fluid from the centers of the processing surfaces.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising the steps of:
preparing at least two fluids, including a first fluid and a second fluid, the first fluid being a raw material fluid which contains at least one kind of the fine particle raw material, the second fluid being a fluid to process the fine particle raw material;
introducing the at least two fluids into a processing device, the processing device comprising at least two processing surfaces facing each other, the at least two processing surfaces being operable to approach to and separate from each other, wherein at least one of the at least two processing surfaces is in the form of a ring and rotates relative to the other;
mixing the at least two fluids in a space formed between the at least two processing surfaces, thereby forming a thin film fluid between the at least two processing surfaces; and
obtaining fine particles from the thin film fluid,
wherein the raw material fluid is introduced from a center of the at least two processing surfaces into the space between the at least two processing surfaces via a first introduction path, the processing device includes a second introduction path independent of the first introduction path, the second introduction path forming at least one opening, which is formed on at least one of the at least two processing surfaces and leading to the space between the at least two processing surfaces, and wherein the second fluid is introduced into the space between the at least two processing surfaces via the second introduction path and the at least one opening,
and
wherein a ratio of a total open area (a) to a total open area (b) is no more than 5, wherein:
the total open area (a) is obtained by multiplying a circumference of a circle having a radius which is a distance from a center of the ring to a point from which the first fluid and the second fluid start joining together, by a distance between the at least two processing surfaces in a direction along a rotation axis of the at least one processing surface; and
the total open area (b) is a sum of introduction opening areas of the at least one opening formed on the at least one processing surface.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fine particles are obtained by at least one process selected from separation, emulsification, dispersion, reaction, and aggregation.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the processing device includes at least two or more openings leading to the space between the at least two processing surfaces, and a total open area (a) is no more than 5 times, relative to each open area of the openings that lead to the second introduction path.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a form of the at least one opening of the second introduction flow path leading to the space between the at least two processing surfaces is a circular ring.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a flow amount based on volume per unit time of the raw material fluid introduced into the space between the at least two processing surfaces from the center of this ring is in the range of 0.1 to 20000 times relative to a flow amount based on volume per unit time of the second fluid that is introduced from the at least one opening.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a form of the at least one opening of the second introduction flow path leading to the space between the at least two processing surfaces is a circular ring.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein a flow amount based on volume per unit time of the raw material fluid introduced into the space between the at least two processing surfaces from the center of this ring is in the range of 0.1 to 20000 times relative to a flow amount based on volume per unit time of the second fluid that is introduced from the at least one opening.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a flow amount based on volume per unit time of the raw material fluid introduced into the space between the at least two processing surfaces from the center of this ring is in the range of 0.1 to 20000 times relative to a flow amount based on volume per unit time of the second fluid that is introduced from the at least one opening.

Assignees

• Maekawa Masaki
• Araki Kaeko
• Honda Daisuke
• Enomura Masakazu
• M Technique Co Ltd

Inventors

• Maekawa Masaki
• Araki Kaeko
• Honda Daisuke
• Enomura Masakazu

Classifications

• C01P2004/04

  obtained by TEM, STEM, STM or AFM · CPC title

• B22F9/24

  starting from liquid metal compounds, e.g. solutions · CPC title

• C01G23/08

  Drying; Calcining {; After treatment of titanium oxide} · CPC title

• C01G23/053

  Producing by wet processes, e.g. hydrolysing titanium salts · CPC title

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title