Patent ID: 7931834

Claim:
A process for the formation and collection of particles of a target material comprising: (i) providing a particle formation vessel containing a liquid target material, wherein a continuous liquid surface is present at the interface of the liquid target material and additional gaseous contents of the particle formation vessel, and an interface between said liquid surface of the target material in a liquid state and additional gaseous contents of said particle formation vessel; (ii) introducing a stream of cryogenic material containing particles of cryogenic material in cryogenic form into contact with the liquid target material below said interface in the particle formation vessel; (iii) allowing rapid volumetric expansion of the particles of the cryogenic material into a gaseous state while in contact with the liquid target material in the particle formation vessel, and releasing the expanded gaseous cryogenic material through said interface while forming liquid droplet particles of the target material in the particle formation vessel; and (iv) collecting the formed particles of the target material.