Patent ID: 7131604

Claim:
A processing apparatus for fluid comprising: a feed for fluid to be processed; a fluid pressure applying mechanism for applying predetermined pressure to fluid to be processed; at least two processing faces comprising a first processing face and a second processing face, the first processing face having a first processing portion and the second processing face having a second processing portion, wherein at least one of the first or second processing faces is movable towards or away from the other, the first and second processing faces being connected with a tight-closed fluid passage through which the fluid flows, wherein the second processing face is formed on a lower surface of the a second processing portion, the second processing portion being an annular element; a rotary drive mechanism for relatively rotating the first and second processing faces, thereby processing the fluid between both processing faces, the fluid being allowed to travel in use between the first and second processing faces, which relatively rotate, a fluid film with predetermined thickness being formed, whereby said fluid is processed to a desired condition of dispersion, emulsification, mixing, grinding, attrition, or atomization; a face contact pressure applying mechanism for applying contact pressure between the two processing faces urging them into contact; and a pressure receiving surface on which said fluid under predetermined pressure acts in use to provide a separation force for separating the processing faces, wherein the fluid pressure applying mechanism, the face contact pressure and the pressure receiving surface are configured so that, in use, while the fluid is processed, the separation force between the processing surfaces is in balance with the contact pressure, the balance maintaining a predetermined interval between the processing faces in a microscale width.