Patent ID: 6616734
Filing Date: 2003-09-09
Classification: B07B,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for separating nanometer-sized particles of a powder, comprising:(a) feeding said powder particles into a pressurized air or gas stream which carries said particles into a first stage filter device of a multiple-stage separator system; (b) operating said first stage filter device to remove and collect coarser particles of said powder that are larger than a first desired size and operating at least a second stage filter device to remove and collect finer particles of said powder that are larger than a second desired size, allowing the finest particles smaller than said second desired size in the gas stream to enter a dust collector means; at least one of said filter devices comprising a dynamic filter which comprises (b1) a mesh of a multiplicity of openings with an opening size at least two times larger than the average size of said particles, (b2) vibration means to shake off particles that may otherwise clog up said mesh openings, (b3) size sensor means to measure the sizes of the particles collected by at least one of said filter devices, and (b4) control means to regulate the operations of said vibration means and said size sensor means in order to form desired dynamic mesh holes for the purpose of filtering out said coarser or finer particles; and (c) operating said dust collector means to separate and collect the finest particles and to exhaust the residual gas.