Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Outside of mold sintering or vitrifying of shaped inorganic... – Simultaneously burning – vaporizing – or melting of embedded...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-29
2001-04-03
Fiorilla, Christopher A. (Department: 1731)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Outside of mold sintering or vitrifying of shaped inorganic...
Simultaneously burning, vaporizing, or melting of embedded...
C264S628000, C264S635000, C264S636000, C264S109000, C264S125000, C264S232000, C264S234000, C426S514000, C419S005000, C419S061000, C419S066000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210625
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a method of making a novel granulated product, and more particularly to a method of making a granulated product comprising a spherical shell and having a spherical space within it. More preferably, the present invention relates to a method of making a novel granulated ceramic product, especially a granulated ceramic product comprising a spherical shell and having a spherical (hollow) space within it. In the present disclosure, it is understood that by the term “granulated product” are intended various forms of products inclusive of granules, particles, tablets, pellets, clinkers, spheres, cubes, and beads.
So far, granulated products have applications in a wide range of industrial fields concerning pharmaceutics, fertilizers, foodstuffs, feeds, agriculture, catalysts, coloring materials, ceramics, powder metallurgy, detergents, cosmetics, plastics, and biotechnology.
Such granulated products have been manufactured by various methods such as tumbling granulation, compression granulation, agitation granulation, extrusion granulation, crushing granulation, fluidized bed granulation, melt cooling granulation, spray drying granulation, liquid phase granulation, vacuum freeze granulation, and in-liquid granulation.
With these granulation techniques, however, it is not easy to obtain granulated hollow products; only limited types of hollow products produced by dedicated granulation techniques represented by spray drying granulation are now available.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a granulated product-making method that enables a hollow product having any desired, easily controllable particle size to be easily produced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Such an object is achievable by the inventions defined below as (
1
) to (
86
).
(
1
) A method of making a granulated product comprising a spherical solid shell and having a spherical space therein, characterized by allowing a polymer particle having high water absorption properties to be swollen by absorption of water therein, and bringing the water-swollen polymer particle into contact with a powder to form a powder layer all over the surface of the water-swollen polymer particle, followed by drying.
(
2
) A granulated product-making method as recited in (
1
), wherein said powder is an organic material.
(
3
) A granulated product-making method as recited in (
1
), wherein said powder is an inorganic material.
(
4
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
3
), wherein said powder contains a binder.
(
5
) A granulated product-making method as recited in (
3
) or (
4
), wherein said inorganic material is a ceramic raw material.
(
6
) A method of making a granulated product comprising a spherical ceramic shell and having a spherical space therein, characterized by allowing a polymer particle having high water absorption properties to be swollen by absorption of water therein, and bringing the water-swollen polymer particle into contact with a ceramic raw material powder to form a ceramic raw material powder layer all over the surface of the water-swollen polymer particle, followed by drying, and firing.
(
7
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
6
), wherein said drying is carried out by dielectric heating in a high-frequency dielectric heating system.
(
8
) A granulated ceramic product-making method as recited in (
6
), wherein said drying and said firing are carried out by dielectric heating in a high-frequency dielectric heating system.
(
9
) A granulated product-making method, characterized in that the granulated product obtained by the method recited in any one of (
1
) to (
8
) is immersed in a liquid to impregnate the shell of said granulated product with said liquid.
(
10
) A granulated product-making method as recited in (
9
), wherein said liquid is a metal salt solution.
(
11
) A granulated product-making method, characterized in that the granulated product obtained by the method recited in any one of (
1
) to (
8
) is immersed in a suspension of finely divided solid powder, and dried to incorporate the finely divided solid powder into the shell of said granulated product.
(
12
) A granulated product-making method, characterized in that the granulated product obtained by the method recited in any one of (
1
) to (
11
) is immersed in a liquid to occlude said liquid in the spherical space in said granulated product.
(
13
) A granulated product-making method, characterized in that the granulated product obtained by the method recited in any one of (
1
) to (
11
) is placed in a gas to occlude said gas in the spherical space in said granulated product.
(
14
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
13
), wherein said polymer having high water absorption properties is a spherical powder having a particle size of 0.02 to 3.0 mm.
(
15
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
13
), wherein said polymer having high water absorption properties is a small sphere having a particle diameter of 0.2 to 60.0 mm.
(
16
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
15
), wherein a ratio of the polymer having high water absorption properties to the water is 1:50 to 1:500.
(
17
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
5
) to (
16
), wherein said ceramic raw material or ceramic is at least one member selected from the group consisting of clay, a clay mineral, chamotte, silica sand, steatite, feldspar, alumina, magnesia, mullite, zirconia, silica, cordierite, ferrite, apatite, blast-furnace slag, shirasu, fly ash, silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, and silicon nitride.
(
18
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
5
) to (
16
), wherein said ceramic raw material or ceramic is a mixture of a binder and at least one member selected from the group consisting of clay, a clay mineral, chamotte, silica sand, steatite, feldspar, alumina, magnesia, mullite, zirconia, silica, cordierite, ferrite, apatite, blast-furnace slag, shirasu, fly ash, silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, and silicon nitride.
(
19
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a pharmaceutical material.
(
20
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a fertilizer material.
(
21
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a foodstuff material.
(
22
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a cement material.
(
23
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a feed material.
(
24
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a coloring material.
(
25
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a material for agricultural chemicals.
(
26
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a cosmetic material.
(
27
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is an enzyme-containing material.
(
28
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a surfactant material.
(
29
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a semiconductor material.
(
30
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a metal material.
(
31
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a multi-capsulated material.
(
32
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
18
), wherein said powder is a cermet material.
(
33
) A granulated product-making method as recited in any one of (
1
) to (
Inamura Shinpei
Matsushita Mitsuhiro
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Fiorilla Christopher A.
Mikuni Corporation
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