Rotor-stator apparatus and process for the formation of particles

CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. A crystallization/precipitation apparatus comprising: a housing having at least a first cavity; a stator having a plurality of apertures, an interior wall portion, and an outer wall portion, wherein the stator resides within the first cavity; a rotor, wherein the rotor is connected to a rotatably mounted drive shaft and is contained within a rotor-swept volume ; at least two inlet pipes, wherein the at least two inlet pipes introduce at least two fluid streams into the rotor-swept volume ; at least one entry port; and an outlet orifice.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotor further comprises at least one rotor blade that extends radially away from the rotatably mounted drive shaft and at least one rotor blade tip, wherein the at least one rotor blade tip is separated from the interior wall portion of the stator by a shear gap.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stator is cylindrical.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the shear gap existing between at least one blade tip and an interior wall portion of the stator ranges from about 0. 01 mm to about 1 Omm.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the shear gap existing between at least one blade tip and an interior wall portion of the stator is about 1 mm.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatably mounted drive shaft is hollow.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotor is hollow.

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8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one rotor blade is hollow.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotor is cylindrical.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cylindrical rotor has teeth.

11. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the cylindrical stator has apertures or teeth.

12. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the cylindrical stator has surface modifications.

13. A crystallization/precipitation apparatus comprising: a stainless steel housing having a first cavity and a second cavity; a stainless steel cylindrical stator having a plurality of apertures, an interior wall portion, and an outer wall portion, wherein the stator resides within the first cavity; a stainless steel rotor having at least one radially extending blade and at least one blade tip that is separated from the interior wall portion of the stator by a shear gap of about 1 mm, wherein the rotor is connected to a rotatably mounted drive shaft that extends through the second cavity and is contained within a rotor-swept volume ; at least two multi-axial inlet pipes, wherein the at least two multi-axial inlet pipes introduce at least two fluid streams into the rotor-swept volume ; at least one entry port; and an outlet orifice.

14. A process for crystallizing/precipitating particles comprising the steps of: feeding at least two fluids into the apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one first fluid is a solvent comprising at least one dissolved substance that is to be crystallizedlprecipitated into particles and at least one second fluid comprising an anti-solvent, said solvent and anti-solvent being miscible ; mixing said first and second fluids using a shear force in a high shear zone wherein the at least one dissolved substance is caused to

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crystallize/precipitate into particles from said first solution on being mixed with said second fluid in the high shear zone; and causing the mixed first and second fluids and the particles to exit the apparatus of claim 1.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the particles have a particle size ranging from 100 nm to 100 um.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the particles have a particle size ranging from 100 nm to 10 um.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the particles have a particle size ranging from 10 nm to 10 pm.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the nominal shear rate is up to about 1,000, 000 reciprocal seconds.

19. The process of claim 14, wherein the substance is a food or food ingredient.

20. The process of claim 14, wherein the substance is selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, proteins, peptides, amino acids, lipids, vitamins, minerals, salts, food colors, enzymes, sweeteners, anti-caking agents, thickeners, emulsifiers, stabilizers, antimicrobial agents, antioxidants and mixtures thereof.

21. The process of claim 14, wherein the substance is a metal particle.

22. The process of claim 14, wherein the substance is a photonic material.

23. The process of claim 14, wherein the substance is a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical.

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24. The process of claim 23, wherein the substance is a poorly water soluble drug compound.

25. The process of claim 17, wherein the particles are a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical compound.

26. The process of claim 21, wherein the metal particle is selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, platinum, copper, tin, iron, lead, magnesium, titanium and mixtures thereof.

27. A process for crystallizing/precipitating a soy protein comprising the steps of: feeding a first solvent fluid comprising deionized water having soy proteins dissolved therein and a second fluid comprising dilute acid into the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first solvent fluid is a solvent comprising soy proteins that are to be precipitated into particles and the second fluid is comprises an anti-solvent, said solvent and anti-solvent being miscible ; mixing said first and second fluids in a high shear zone wherein the soy proteins are caused to crystallize/precipitate into particles from said first solution upon being mixed with said second fluid in the high shear zone; and causing the mixed first and second fluids and the soy protein particles to exit the apparatus of claim 1.

28. A process for crystallizing/precipitating particles comprising the steps of: feeding at least two fluids into a rotor-stator apparatus, wherein at least one first fluid is a solvent comprising at least one dissolved substance that is to be precipitated into particles and at least one second fluid comprising an anti-solvent, said solvent and anti-solvent being miscible ; mixing said first and second fluids using a shear force in a high shear zone wherein the at least one dissolved substance is caused to crystallizelprecipitate into particles from said first solution on being mixed with said second fluid in the high shear zone; and causing the mixed first and second fluids and the particles to exit the rotor-stator apparatus.

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29. The process of claim 28, wherein the particles have a particle size ranging from 100 nm to 100 um.

30. The process of claim 28, wherein the substance is a food or food ingredient.

31. The process of claim 28, wherein the substance is selected from the group consisting of carbohydrates, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, proteins, peptides, amino acids, lipids, vitamins, minerals, salts, food colors, enzymes, sweeteners, anti-caking agents, thickeners, emulsifiers, stabilizers, antimicrobial agents, antioxidants and mixtures thereof.

32. The process of claim 28, wherein the substance is a metal particle.

33. The process of claim 32, wherein the metal particle is selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, platinum, copper, tin, iron, lead, magnesium, titanium and mixtures thereof.

34. The process of claim 28, wherein the substance is a photonic material.

35. The process of claim 28, wherein the substance is a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical.

36. The process of claim 35, wherein the substance is a poorly water soluble drug compound.