Method and Arrangement for the Production of Particles

Abstract

A production arrangement for producing a batch of particles having predetermined sizes and/or morphology comprising at least a) two or more spray nozzles, each having a fluid transport conduit, a solution transport conduit, and a mixing arrangement for mixing a fluid and a solution with each other downstream of the fluid transport conduit, and a spray outlet, b) one or more particle collecting chambers, each comprising the spray outlet of at least one of the spray nozzles and a function for separating and collecting particles produced in the spray nozzle from the solution-fluid mixture, and c) a transport conduit external to the spray nozzles for transferring fluid to the fluid transport conduits of the spray nozzles, wherein the spray nozzles are identical and adapted to be run simultaneously with at least two of them being placed in a same particle collecting chamber and/or in different particle collecting chambers.

1 . A production arrangement for producing a batch of particles of a substance having predetermined sizes and/or morphology comprising at least:
 a) two or more spray nozzles, each having a fluid transport conduit, a solution transport conduit, and a mixing arrangement for mixing a fluid and a solution with each other downstream of the fluid transport conduit, and a spray outlet,   b) one or more particle collecting chambers, each comprising the spray outlet of at least one of the two or more spray nozzles and a function for separating and collecting particles produced in the spray nozzle from the solution-fluid mixture, and   c) a transport conduit external to the two or more spray nozzles for transferring fluid to the fluid transport conduits of the two or more spray nozzles, wherein the two or more spray nozzles are identical and adapted to be run simultaneously with at least two of them being placed in a same particle collecting chamber and/or in different particle collecting chambers.   
     
     
         2 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the spray outlet comprises adjustable flow hinders configured to fine tune flow velocity through the spray outlet. 
     
     
         3 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the spray outlet comprises an adjustable slot formed between a downstream part and an upstream part, at least one of the downstream part and the upstream part is axially movable relative to the other. 
     
     
         4 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid transport conduit and the solution transport conduit of each spray nozzle merge with each other in the mixing arrangement at an angle selected in the interval of 0°-180°. 
     
     
         5 . The arrangement of  claim 4 , wherein the angle is selected in the interval of 30°-150°. 
     
     
         6 . The arrangement of  claim 5 , wherein the angle is 90°. 
     
     
         7 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid transport conduit and the solution transport conduit of each spray nozzle are coaxial at least in their upstream parts, and merge, in their downstream ends, with each other into the mixing arrangement followed by and/or coinciding with the spray outlet. 
     
     
         8 . The arrangement of  claim 7 , wherein
 a) a downstream part of one of the fluid transport conduit and the solution transport conduit is cylindrical providing for cylindrical flow at a position of merging with the other conduit, and a downstream part of the other conduit is disc-shaped providing an annular flow that is directed radially outwards from a centre, which coincides with an axis of the cylindrical flow, a merging angle between the two conduits is selected in the interval of 30°-150°,   b) the mixing arrangement is annular comprising an annular upstream end at the position of merging of the two conduits and an annular downstream end, and   c) the spray outlet is annular and communicates in an upstream direction with the annular downstream end of the mixing arrangement.   
     
     
         9 . The arrangement of  claim 8 , wherein an inner one of the two coaxial conduits is cylindrical in its downstream end and an outer one of the two coaxial conduits is disc-shaped in its downstream end. 
     
     
         10 . The arrangement of  claim 8 , wherein an outer one of the two coaxial conduits is cylindrical in its downstream end and an inner one of the two coaxial conduits is disc-shaped in its downstream end. 
     
     
         11 . The arrangement of  claim 7 , wherein the solution transport conduit is an inner conduit and the fluid transport conduit is an outer conduit of the two conduits that are coaxial in their upstream ends. 
     
     
         12 . The arrangement of  claim 7 , wherein the solution transport conduit is an outer conduit and the fluid transport conduit is an inner conduit of two conduits that are coaxial in their upstream ends. 
     
     
         13 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein one or more inlet conduits are provided for introducing, at a position in the fluid stream upstream of the mixing arrangement, a make-up agent and/or fluid previously used in the arrangement. 
     
     
         14 . The arrangement of  claim 13 , further comprising a storage tank in downstream communication with one of the one or more inlet conduits, the storage tank comprises the make-up agent. 
     
     
         15 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , further comprising functions for control of temperature and/or pressure for supporting a supercritical state of the fluid and/or of the solution-fluid mixture in the one or more particle collecting chambers and in the fluid upstream of the one or more particle collecting chambers. 
     
     
         16 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , further comprising functions for control of temperature and/or pressure for supporting a subcritical state of the fluid and/or of the solution-fluid mixture in the one or more particle collecting chambers and in the fluid upstream of the one or more particle collecting chambers. 
     
     
         17 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein each particle collecting chamber comprises the spray outlet of ≦20 spray nozzles. 
     
     
         18 . The arrangement of  claim 1 , comprising ≦20 particle collecting chambers.