Patent ID: 8865057

Claim:
An apparatus for the production of metal matrix nanocomposites comprising: (a) a production chamber defining a cavity; (b) a nanoparticle feeding system comprising: a nanoparticle source in communication with the production chamber cavity through a feeding system output port, and a nanoparticle flow rate controller configured to control the flow rate of nanoparticles from the nanoparticle source to the feeding system output port; (c) a mixing system comprising: a first impeller disposed within the production chamber cavity and configured to apply an axial shear force to nanoparticle agglomerates entering a molten metal held in the production chamber cavity through the feeding system output port, and to force the nanoparticle agglomerates downward into the molten metal, and a second impeller disposed within the production chamber and configured to apply a radial shear force to nanoparticle agglomerates forced downward into a molten metal held in the production chamber by the first impeller; (d) a cavitation system comprising: a cavitation cell disposed within the production chamber cavity and defining a cavitation cavity having an input aperture and an output aperture, wherein the cavitation cell is positioned within the production chamber cavity such that a sub-volume of molten metal held within the cavitation cavity could flow out through the output aperture and back into a larger volume of molten metal held in the production chamber cavity, and a cavitation source configured to create a cavitation zone within a molten metal held in the cavitation cavity; and (e) a pumping conduit configured to conduct a flow of molten metal from the second impeller into the cavitation cavity through the cavitation cavity input aperture.