Patent ID: 6858166

Claim:
A method for particle precipitation and retention in carrier material comprising the steps of: (a)(1) dissolving a solid or semi-solid material in a pressurized gaseous fluid, thereby forming a solution comprising a gaseous fluid solvent and a dissolved solute of solid or semi-solid material or (a)(2) dissolving a solid or semi-solid material in a liquid solvent, thereby forming a liquid solution comprising a liquid solvent and a dissolved solute of solid or semi-solid material; (b)(1) precipitating particles of the solid or semi-solid material out of the gaseous fluid solution produced in step (a)(1) by introducing the solution into a region of lower pressure or into a region containing an inert gas or (b)(2) precipitating particles of the solid or semi-solid material out of the liquid solution produced in step (a)(2) by introducing the solution into either: (1) a region containing a pressurized gaseous fluid in which said liquid solvent is substantially soluble but said solid or semi-solid material is substantially insoluble, or (2) a region into which a pressurized gaseous fluid is subsequently introduced to cause the solubilization of the liquid solvent into the pressurized gaseous fluid and the precipitation of the particles of the solid or semi-solid material; (c) directing the introduced solution and resulting precipitated particles produced in step (b)(1) or (b)(2) onto or into a mixed bed of carrier material; and (d) retaining and dispersing at least some of the precipitated particles in the carrier material to produce a blend of the solid or semi-solid material particles and carrier material, a granulation of the solid or semi-solid material particles with carrier material, carrier material partially or fully coated with the solid or semi-solid material particles, or mixtures thereof; and wherein the carrier material in the mixed bed is maintained in a mixed state at least during steps (c) and (d).