Patent ID: 9597691
Date: 2017-03-21
CPC Classifications: B02C

Claim:
1. An improvement in an apparatus for producing a particle dispersion utilizing a mill having a rotor mounted for rotation within a containment wall for processing particle-carrying feedstock passed from a supply vessel into a bed of media contained within the containment wall, the improvement comprising: an auxiliary chamber having a chamber wall surrounding the containment wall such that feedstock will pass from the bed of media, through the containment wall and into the auxiliary chamber while the media is contained within the bed of media; a vacuum mechanism for maintaining a first negative pressure within the supply vessel; and an external pumping mechanism communicating with the auxiliary chamber and establishing a pressure differential for drawing the particle-carrying feedstock from the supply vessel, into the bed of media, thence from the bed of media through the containment wall into the auxiliary chamber, and then out of the auxiliary chamber for return to the supply vessel, the pressure differential including a second negative pressure established within the auxiliary chamber during the processing of the particle-carrying feedstock, the second negative pressure being lower than the first negative pressure.