Patent ID: 7214255

Claim:
An automated method for making particles of a selected particle composition, the method comprising: processing of a batch of precursor liquid, comprising a liquid vehicle and a precursor material, to manufacture a batch of particulate product, the processing including batch initiation operations, batch termination operations and intermediate operations, the intermediate operations occurring between the batch initiation operations and the batch termination operations; the intermediate operations comprising: a) generating an aerosol stream from an ultrasonic aerosol generator including a plurality of activated ultrasonic transducers, as generated the aerosol stream comprising droplets of the precursor liquid dispersed in a carrier gas, with the droplets being at a weight average size of from 1 micron to 10 microns; b) supplying the carrier gas to the ultrasonic aerosol generator from a carrier gas supply system in fluid communication with the ultrasonic aerosol generator; c) supplying a precursor liquid feed from a precursor liquid supply system in fluid communication with the ultrasonic aerosol generator; and d) forming the particles, the forming comprising heating the aerosol stream in an aerosol heater; prior to commencement of the batch initiation operations and after completion of the batch termination operations, the aerosol stream not being generated; the batch initiation operations comprising commencing generation of the aerosol stream and the batch termination operations comprising ceasing generation of the aerosol stream; and the intermediate operations comprising automatically controlling, at the direction of an electronic processor processing instructions for manufacture of the particles of the selected particle composition, the feed rate of the carrier gas and the feed rate of the liquid precursor to the ultrasonic aerosol generator; wherein the batch initiation operations comprise automatically increasing, at the direction of the electronic processor, temperature within the aerosol heater and wherein the aerosol heater comprises a furnace having a plurality of heating zones and, during the step of increasing the temperature, heat input into each of the heating zones being automatically independently controlled at the direction of the electronic processor.