Patent ID: 7749468

Claim:
An apparatus providing a reaction chamber for an oxygen-sensitive or water-sensitive reactant in a cavitation induced liquid reaction medium, the apparatus comprising: a reaction chamber having a liquid space for a liquid reaction medium and a gas space overlying the liquid space when it contains liquid reaction medium, the reaction chamber excluding admission of ambient air; means for producing cavitation in the liquid reaction medium; at least one reactant inlet to at least one of the gas space or the liquid space for adding a reactant to the reaction chamber; an inert gas inlet conduit with a sparger for injecting a flowing stream comprising inert gas into the liquid space of the reaction chamber; a venting outlet for removal of a stream comprising inert gas from the gas space in the reaction chamber; a recirculation conduit for re-circulating a stream of the inert gas from the venting outlet to the inert gas inlet conduit; a heat exchanger in the recirculation conduit for condensing reaction medium entrained in the removed stream of inert gas for return to the reaction chamber; and a reaction product outlet from the reaction chamber.