Inoue Seisakusho (mfg) Co., Ltd.

Inoue Mfg., Inc.

Mitsuo Kamiwano

Yoshitaka Inoue

Kazuhiko Nishi

A dispersion method for uniformly dispersing solid or liquid fine particles in a solvent utilizes a supercritical fluid. A dispersoid of a solid, a liquid or the like is mixed with a solvent, and the resulting mixture is fed to a supercritical vessel. A supercritical solvent is then fed to the supercritical vessel and heated and compressed to a level higher than the critical temperature and critical pressure thereof to convert it to a supercritical fluid. The supercritical fluid and mixture of dispersoid and solvent are mixed together to form a supercritical mixture, which is released to atmospheric pressure in an explosion-crashing tank and subjected to collision within the explosion-crashing tank to efficiently disperse the dispersoid in the solvent.

Dispersion method and dispersing apparatus using supercritical state

An apparatus for dispersing and grinding a material by means of a grinding medium, such as balls or beads, comprises a grinding vessel, and a rotor rotatably disposed in the grinding vessel to define a narrow annular flow path between the rotor and the inner wall of the grinding vessel. On the outer peripheral surface of the rotor, a set of guiding protrusions is disposed for guiding, in the circumferential direction, the flow of a mixture of the grinding medium and material flowing within the annular flow path. Inside the rotor, an inside flow path extends in the axial direction and a backward screw is disposed for returning the grinding medium in the inside flow path to the upstream side of the grinding vessel. The grinding medium gathering at the downstream side of the grinding vessel efficiently enters the inside flow path through inflow conduits provided on the rotor, the grinding medium and is urged backwards toward the upstream side by the backward screw. The grinding medium exits the inside flow path and returns to the upstream side through outflow conduits. Thus, the dispersion efficiency is improved and the treatment time of the material is reduced.

Dispersing and grinding apparatus

A continuous dispersing and grinding apparatus comprises a vessel having an inlet for feeding a material to be processed at one end and an outlet for discharging the processed material at the other end. A rotor is disposed rotatably within the vessel, and the material flows between the vessel and rotor from the inlet towards the outlet. The outer surface of the rotor is provided continuously with an undulations having alternate crests and troughs. The undulations define a repeating succession of distinct sections, namely, a compressing section for gradually compressing the material, a shearing section for applying shearing forces to the material, and an expanding section for releasing the compression of the material. As the material flows through the vessel in the space between the vessel inner wall and the rotor outer surface, the succession of compressing, shearing and expanding sections repeatedly subject the material to compressing, shearing and expanding actions whereby the material is uniformly dispersed and ground.

Continuous dispersing apparatus

A dispersing and grinding apparatus comprises a vessel having an inlet for receiving a material to be processed and an outlet for discharging the processed material. A rotor is rotatably disposed within the vessel and positioned relative to the inner wall of the vessel to define therebetween a narrow, annular flow path for the passage therethrough of a mixture of the material and a grinding medium. The rotor has a plurality of axially extending grooves on the periphery thereof for guiding the mixture in the circumferential direction as the rotor rotates. The rotor is separated into a plurality of processing zones in the axial direction thereof, and the grooves in each processing zone are phase shifted in the circumferential direction with respect to the grooves in adjacent processing zones. When the mixture transfers from one processing zone to an adjacent processing zone, the velocity difference of the mixture is adjusted so that the mixture advances, as a whole, at approximately equal velocity through the narrow, annular flow path whereby the material is uniformly ground and dispersed.

A dispersing and grinding apparatus comprises a vessel having an inlet at one end for supplying material which is to be ground and dispersed, and an outlet at the other end to discharge the ground and dispersed material. A rotor is rotatably disposed within the vessel and coacts with the inner wall of the vessel to define therebetween a narrow annular flow path through which the material flows from the inlet to the outlet of the vessel. An array of guide members are formed on the inner wall of the vessel or on the outer peripheral surface of the rotor for guiding the flow of the material-grinding medium mixture so that the predominant flow of the mixture in the narrow annular flow path occurs in the circumferential direction. The guide members have forward and rearward guide surfaces for imparting forward and rearward motions to the mixture as it flows circumferentially about the annular flow path. As the predominant mixture flow is in the circumferential direction, sufficient motion is imparted to the mixture to enable the grinding medium to grind and uniformly disperse the material as the material advances in the lengthwise direction through the narrow flow path to the outlet of the vessel.

A grinding medium is filled in a grinding vessel of a dispersing and grinding apparatus. The medium is agitated by means of a cylindrical rotor provided within the vessel. A material entered into the vessel is ground and dispersed in liquid by means of motion of the medium. The rotor has a forward screw on the outer surface or the inner surface thereof for inducing the medium from an inflow conduit to the direction of an outflow conduit, and has a backward screw on the inner surface or the outer surface thereof for inducing the medium from the outflow conduit to the inflow conduit. The medium circulates within the vessel under guidance of these screws. The rotor rotates directly by a shaft extending within the vessel, or by an electromagnetic inductive action of rotating magnetic field provided either on the outer or inner surface of the vessel.

An in-line mixer for insertion in a fluid pipeline to mix the fluid flowing through the pipeline comprises a rotary tubular casing composed of magnetic material and rotatably disposed within a housing fitted in the pipeline. A plurality of mixing elements are disposed within the tubular casing and project radially outwardly toward the inner wall of the casing. A set of electromagnetic coils are disposed circumferentially around the outside of the tubular casing and produce a rotating magnetic field to induce rotation of the casing through magnetic coupling of the rotating magnetic field and the magnetic material of the casing. The fluid flowing through the tubular casing is thoroughly stirred and mixed by the combined actions of the mixing elements and the rotating casing, and stagnation of the fluid near the inner wall of the casing is effectively eliminated due to rotation of the casing.

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Yokohama, Japan

Mitsuo Kamiwano