METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FINE CARBON PARTICLES
First Claim
1. A method including:
- (a) injecting a feed material into a reactant liquid, the feed material including a carbon-bearing material;
(b) maintaining carbon from the carbon-bearing material in contact with the reactant liquid for a period of time sufficient to liberate carbon atoms from the carbon-bearing material or from reaction products of the carbon-bearing material;
(c) collecting carbon product in a collection volume, the collection volume being defined at a lowermost extent by a surface of the reactant liquid and having a lateral extent defined between laterally spaced apart side walls extending transverse to the surface of the reactant liquid, the collected carbon product being formed from the liberated carbon atoms; and
(d) as the carbon product is collected in the collection volume, introducing a fluid directly into the collection volume so that the fluid does not traverse the surface of the reactant liquid in order to reach the collection volume.
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Abstract
A method includes producing an isolation atmosphere in a phase changing area above a reactant liquid and then injecting a feed material into the reactant liquid. The feed material includes a carbon-bearing material. The method further includes maintaining the molecules of the injected carbon-bearing material and any reaction products in contact with the reactant liquid for a period of time sufficient to liberate carbon atoms from the carbon-bearing material or reaction products from that material, and place the liberated carbon atoms in an excited state. Liberated carbon atoms in the excited state are then allowed to traverse a surface of the reactant liquid and flow along a particle formation path through the phase changing area so that the liberated carbon atoms may phase change to the ground state while suspended in the phase changing area.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method including:
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(a) injecting a feed material into a reactant liquid, the feed material including a carbon-bearing material; (b) maintaining carbon from the carbon-bearing material in contact with the reactant liquid for a period of time sufficient to liberate carbon atoms from the carbon-bearing material or from reaction products of the carbon-bearing material; (c) collecting carbon product in a collection volume, the collection volume being defined at a lowermost extent by a surface of the reactant liquid and having a lateral extent defined between laterally spaced apart side walls extending transverse to the surface of the reactant liquid, the collected carbon product being formed from the liberated carbon atoms; and (d) as the carbon product is collected in the collection volume, introducing a fluid directly into the collection volume so that the fluid does not traverse the surface of the reactant liquid in order to reach the collection volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method including:
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(a) liberating carbon atoms from a carbon-bearing material by reaction with or in a reactant liquid, and maintaining the liberated carbon atoms in an excited state; (b) enabling the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state to traverse a surface of the reactant liquid and pass into a collection volume; and (c) as the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state pass into the collection volume, introducing a fluid directly into the collection volume so that the fluid does not traverse the surface of the reactant liquid in order to reach the collection volume. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus including:
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(a) a reactant liquid vessel for containing a reactant liquid at a reactant liquid level; (b) an injection conduit positioned to inject a stream of feed material into the reactant liquid vessel at a point below the reactant liquid level; (c) a phase changing chamber positioned to receive effluent escaping from the reactant liquid in the reactant liquid vessel in an effluent ejection area, the phase changing chamber together with the plane of the reactant liquid level defining a collection volume; and (d) a fluid injection passage positioned to direct a fluid into the collection volume so that the fluid does not traverse the reactant liquid level to reach the collection volume. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification