Patent ID: 7632355
Filing Date: 2009-12-15
Classification: B22F,B23B,C04B,C09K,C22C,C23C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A coating apparatus comprising: (a) a container for receiving particulate material, said container having a contacting surface; (b) at least one rack comprising elongated apertures between comb-like teeth, wherein said elongated apertures: are sufficiently wide to allow the passage of said particulate material; are parallel to each other and; have a length that is about 4 to about 30 times their width, said width measured at the midpoint of the length of the teeth wherein said teeth are: curved and located along one edge of said rack, and set at an angle to said contacting surface to apply compression to said particulate material when said particulate material is entrained or squeezed as a result of relative motion between said rack and said contacting surface, wherein said angle is a negative rake angle ranging from about 10 to about 80 degrees, and wherein said compression is sufficient to force the particulate material to flow through said elongated apertures resulting in shear and tensile forces being applied to said particulate material; and (c) an inlet for introducing particulate material to said container, wherein said container is in the form of a cylinder or drum, and said rack is at least proximate to the to or to the bottom of said cylinder or drum.