SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PREPARING WAX AND LIPID PARTICLES

• US 20180361341A1
• Filed: 06/12/2018
• Published: 12/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matralix Pte Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Matralix Pte Ltd.
• Inventors: LOKE, Siew Keong, SOO, Kit Ying
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/10 General cosmetic use
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/412 Microsized, i.e. having sizes between 0.1 and 100 microns
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/11 Encapsulated compositions
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/927 of insects, e.g. shellac
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/00 Preparations for care of the skin
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 13/04 by physical processes, e.g. drying, spraying
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2207/53 Core-shell polymer
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 91/06 Waxes

Abstract

The system can include: a conduit having a first dimension with an inlet and outlet; an extruder having an inlet and an outlet located within the conduit, an extruder orifice having a second dimension that is smaller than the first dimension; a carrier fluid reservoir coupled with the conduit inlet; an extruder reservoir coupled with the extruder inlet; and a particle collector fluidly coupled with the conduit outlet, wherein the particle collector has a collector inlet with a first temperature and a collector outlet with a second temperature. The method can include flowing carrier fluid through the extrudate conduit; extruding wax with the extruder into the carrier fluid that is flowing through the extrudate conduit such that the extrudate separates into extrudate segments separated from each other by carrier fluid segments; and flowing the extrudate into the particle collector so as to form wax particles.

Claims

1. A system for forming wax particles, the system comprising:

a conduit with a lumen having a first dimension and having an inlet and an outlet;

an extruder having an inlet and an extruder orifice as an outlet located within the conduit, the extruder orifice having a second dimension that is smaller than the first dimension;

a carrier fluid reservoir fluidly coupled with the conduit inlet;

an extruder reservoir fluidly coupled with the extruder inlet; and

a particle collector fluidly coupled with the conduit outlet, wherein the particle collector has a collector inlet with a first temperature and a collector outlet with a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature with a temperature gradient between the first temperature and second temperature.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising a heating system having one or more heaters thermally coupled with at least the carrier fluid reservoir, extruder reservoir, and particle collector.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a cooling system having one or more coolers thermally coupled with one or more of:

an outlet end of the particle collector;

an inlet end of the particle collector;

or

the conduit.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising a control system having a computer processor adapted to control the system.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising:

one or more thermocouples operatively coupled with the wax reservoir; and

/or

one or more pressure sensors operatively coupled with the wax reservoir.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a pump operatively coupled with the carrier fluid reservoir; and

/or

one or more thermocouples operatively coupled with the carrier fluid reservoir; and

/or

one or more pressure sensors operatively coupled with the carrier fluid reservoir.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the particle collector includes a fluid column that is:

vertically oriented; and

/or

configured as a tube.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the particle collector includes a particle selector.

9. The system of claim 8, comprising:

a waste chamber at an outlet of the particle collector; and

a product chamber at an outlet of the particle collector,

wherein the particle selector is configured to select whether a particle is directed to the waste chamber or product chamber.

10. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a heater at an inlet side of the particle collector; and

/or

a cooler at an outlet side of the particle collector.

11. The system of claim 1, comprising a particle analyzer operatively coupled with the particle collector so as to be capable of analyzing particles.

12. A method of forming wax particles, the method comprising:

providing the system of claim 1;

flowing carrier fluid through the extrudate conduit;

extruding wax with the extruder into the carrier fluid that is flowing through the extrudate conduit such that the extrudate separates into extrudate segments separated from each other by carrier fluid segments; and

flowing the extrudate into the particle collector so as to form wax particles.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wax particles are wax beads.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising heating the wax in the wax reservoir to a temperature above the melting point of the wax.

15. The method of claim 12, heating the carrier fluid in the carrier fluid reservoir to a temperature above the melting point of the wax.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising adjusting the flowrate of the carrier fluid and flow rate of the extruded wax within the extrudate conduit to control the particle size of the formed wax particles.

17. The method of claim 12, comprising cooling an outlet end of the particle collector to a temperature below the wax melting point.

18. The method of claim 12, comprising solidifying the wax into wax beads in the particle collector.

19. The method of claim 12, comprising activating the particle selector to select wax particles as products.

20. The method of claim 12, comprising activating the particle selector to send defective wax particles to waste.

21. The method of claim 12, comprising receiving data regarding operation of the system in the control system, and causing a change in the operation of the system.