Generation and Deposition of Organic Nanoparticles in a Liquid Ring Pump

Abstract

A new method for the production of organic nanoparticles or nanosuspensions in a liquid ring vacuum pump is presented. A hot carrier gas charged under vacuum conditions with poorly water‐soluble organic substances is compressed and simultaneously cooled by the partially evaporating sealant water of the liquid ring vacuum pump. During compression and quenching, the gas‐vapor mixture becomes highly supersaturated and aerosol formation initiated by homogeneous nucleation occurs in the compression chambers between the impeller blades of the pump. The thus generated gas‐borne droplets or solid particles are mainly trapped and enriched in the sealant ring liquid, which is discharged, separated from the carrier gas in an external separator and returned to the pump. Experiments yielded aqueous nanosuspensions of insoluble organic substances with typical particle sizes between 50 and 300 nm, as well as foam in the external gas‐liquid separator. The foam showed stable structures due to incorporated solid nanoparticles.