1. A method for making particles including a polymer phase, comprising the steps of:
a) forming a liquid-containing precursor comprising at least a first precursor component and a polymer;
b) generating an aerosol of precursor droplets from said liquid-containing precursor; and
c) heating said aerosol of precursor droplets to remove liquid therefrom and form said particles.
2. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said first precursor component comprises a particulate precursor.
3. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said first precursor component comprises particulate carbon.
4. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said first precursor component comprises particulate carbon having an average particle size of not greater than about 100 nanometers.
5. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said first precursor component comprises particulate carbon having a surface area of at least about 60 m2g.
6. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said polymer is a hydrophobic polymer.
7. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said polymer is a fluorocarbon polymer.
8. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said polymer is a tetrafluoroethylene fluorocarbon polymer.
9. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said heating step comprises heating said aerosol to a temperature of not greater than about 400\xb0 C.
10. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said liquid is water.
11. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said liquid precursor comprises a second precursor component.
12. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said first precursor component comprises a carbon precursor and further comprising a second precursor component that is a platinum precursor.
13. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said first precursor component comprises graphitic carbon and further comprising a second precursor component comprising amorphous carbon.
14. A method for making particles as recited in claim 1, wherein said precursor droplets have an average droplet size of not greater than about 20 \u03bcm.
15. A method for making particles having a controlled hydrophobicity, comprising the steps of:
a) forming a liquid precursor including at least a first precursor component;
b) generating an aerosol of precursor droplets from said liquid precursor; and
c) heating said aerosol of precursor droplets to remove liquid therefrom, wherein said liquid precursor comprises a fluorocarbon polymer.
16. A method for making particles as recited in claim 15, wherein said first precursor component comprises a particulate precursor.
17. A method for making particles as recited in claim 15, wherein said first precursor component comprises particulate carbon.
18. A method for making particles as recited in claim 15, wherein said first precursor component comprises particulate carbon having an average particle size of not greater than about 100 nanometers.
19. A method for making particles as recited in claim 15, wherein said first precursor component comprises particulate carbon having a surface area of at least about 25 m2g.
20. A method for making particles as recited in claim 15, wherein said fluorocarbon polymer is a tetrafluoroethylene fluorocarbon polymer.
21. A method for making particles as recited in claim 15, wherein said heating step comprises heating said aerosol to a temperature of not greater than about 400\xb0 C.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A tool exchanging apparatus for a processing center, provided with at least one tool spindle (2), in which a tool (1) can be clamped and which is transportable in the direction of the axis of the spindle and at least in the vertical direction to this direction, provided with a tool magazine (3) and with two tool holding devices (4a) in a transporting apparatus (4) which can be used to transport the tool holding devices (4a) to the tool exchanging position located in the movement region of the tool spindle (2), wherein one used tool (1) can be deposited from the device by the movement of the tool spindle (2) and another, new tool (1) can be removed from the device by the movement of the tool spindle (2);
characterized by the fact that each of the tool holding devices (4a), which are provided at least in pairs, is deployed on its own transporting device (4), that the transporting devices (4) are capable of movement back and forth independently of each other between the tool exchanging position and a tool receptacle (3a) of the tool magazine (3), and that the tool receptacles (3a) of the tool magazine (3) are movable in a circulating manner.
2. The tool exchanging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that each transporting device (4) is capable of back and forth movements between the tool exchanging position and one of the tool receptacles (3a) of the tool magazine (3) of another transporting device (4) of various receptacles (3a).
3. The tool exchanging apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that each transporting device (4) is constructed so as to alternate depositing of a new tool (1) with reception of a used tool (1).
4. The tool exchanging apparatus according to one or several of the claim 1 through 3, characterized by the fact that each tool receptacle (3a) of the tool magazine (3) is provided with a tool cassette which holds a tool (1) so that it can be removed.
5. The tool exchanging apparatus according to one or several of the claim 1 through 4, characterized by the fact that a guiding plate (3c) is supported in each tool cassette so that it is movable, wherein a tool (1) is accommodated in the tool cassette.
6. The tool exchanging apparatus according to one or several of the claim 1 through 4, characterized by the fact that the transporting device (4) is driven by a piston-cylinder unit (4b) which can be coupled with the guiding plate (3c) of a tool (1) which is located in the exchanging position.
7. The tool exchanging apparatus according to one or several of the claims 1 through 5, characterized by the fact that the guiding plates (3c) are supported in the tool exchanging position in guides (5).
8. The tool exchanging apparatus according to one or several of the claim 1 through 6, characterized by the fact that at least one tool holding device (4a) is allocated to each transporting device (4).
9. The tool exchanging apparatus according to one or several of the claim 1 through 7, characterized by the fact that the tool magazine (3) is designed as a chain magazine whose chain member are formed by tool receptacles (3a).
10. The tool exchanging apparatus according to one or several of the claim 1 through 8, characterized by the fact that the too l receptacles (3a) of the tool magazine (3) can be connected according to a sequence.
11. The tool exchanging device according to one or several of the claim 1 through 9, characterized by the fact that the tool receptacles (3a) are mounted rectilinearly in one of the regions adjacent to the tool spindle (2).
12. The tool exchanging device according to one or several of the claim 1 through 10, characterized by the fact that tool exchanging position of the tool magazine (3) is located in the near vicinity and outside of the movement region of the magazine (3) and of the tool (1) stored therein.
13. The tool exchanging device according to one or several of the claim 1 through 12, characterized by the fact that the tools (1) contained in the receptacles (3a) of the tool magazine (3) are maintained at least in the vicinity of the tool exchanging position in one of the clamping positions of the tool (1) in a corresponding alignment orientation in tool spindle (2).