Ceramic tiles may be prepared employing a process characterized by the addition to the ceramic raw materials of an aqueous slurry comprising a swellable clay of the smectite family, a binder and a water-soluble salt of a monovalent cation. The ceramic raw materials mixed and then subjected to wet grinding to produce a slip. The thus obtained slip is then subjected to spray drying.

Ceramic tiles may be prepared employing a process characterized by the addition to the ceramic raw materials of an aqueous slurry comprising a swellable clay of the smectite family, a binder and a water-soluble salt of a monovalent cation. The ceramic raw materials mixed and then subjected to wet grinding to produce a slip. The thus obtained slip is then subjected to spray drying.

A spray drying process and apparatus for drying a spray dryable liquid composition to a spray dried powder is described, in which the spray dryable liquid composition contains no carrier. The spray dryable liquid composition is processed at a solids concentration not exceeding 80% by weight, based on total weight of the spray dryable liquid composition, being atomized to generate an atomized spray of liquid particles of the spray dryable liquid composition into a spray drying chamber, in which the atomized spray is contacted with a stream of drying fluid flowed at temperature not exceeding 100 C. into the spray drying chamber, to form the spray dried powder.

A spray drying process and apparatus for drying a spray dryable liquid composition to a spray dried powder is described, in which the spray dryable liquid composition contains no carrier. The spray dryable liquid composition is processed at a solids concentration not exceeding 80% by weight, based on total weight of the spray dryable liquid composition, being atomized to generate an atomized spray of liquid particles of the spray dryable liquid composition into a spray drying chamber, in which the atomized spray is contacted with a stream of drying fluid flowed at temperature not exceeding 100 C. into the spray drying chamber, to form the spray dried powder.

A method and apparatus for freezing a liquid droplet includes dispensing, by a liquid dispenser (14), a droplet (13) of liquid into a fluid chamber (10) containing a freezing fluid (12). The droplet of liquid is allowed to dwell in the freezing fluid for at least a predetermined dwell time so that the droplet of liquid freezes to a frozen droplet. The method and apparatus further includes injecting, by a gas injector (17), a stream (16) of gas transversely to a surface of the freezing fluid at about where the frozen droplet is located along the surface of the freezing fluid contained in the fluid chamber so that the frozen droplet sinks in the freezing fluid.

A method and apparatus for freezing a liquid droplet includes dispensing, by a liquid dispenser (14), a droplet (13) of liquid into a fluid chamber (10) containing a freezing fluid (12). The droplet of liquid is allowed to dwell in the freezing fluid for at least a predetermined dwell time so that the droplet of liquid freezes to a frozen droplet. The method and apparatus further includes injecting, by a gas injector (17), a stream (16) of gas transversely to a surface of the freezing fluid at about where the frozen droplet is located along the surface of the freezing fluid contained in the fluid chamber so that the frozen droplet sinks in the freezing fluid.

The present invention relates to a process for continuous production of partly crystalline polycondensate pellet material, comprising the steps of forming a polycondensate melt into pellet material; separating the liquid cooling medium from the pellet material in a first treatment space, wherein the pellets after exit from the first treatment space exhibit a temperature T.sub.GR, and crystallizing the pellet material in a second treatment space, wherein in the second treatment space fluidized bed conditions exist, and in the second treatment space the pellets are heated by supply of energy from the exterior by means of a process gas.

The present invention relates to a process for continuous production of partly crystalline polycondensate pellet material, comprising the steps of forming a polycondensate melt into pellet material; separating the liquid cooling medium from the pellet material in a first treatment space, wherein the pellets after exit from the first treatment space exhibit a temperature T.sub.GR, and crystallizing the pellet material in a second treatment space, wherein in the second treatment space fluidized bed conditions exist, and in the second treatment space the pellets are heated by supply of energy from the exterior by means of a process gas.

Disclosed is an ink including at least one particle including a first material; and at least one liquid vehicle; wherein the particle includes at least one particle including a second material and at least one nanoparticle dispersed in the second material; wherein the first material and the second material have an extinction coefficient less or equal to 1510.sup.5 at 460 nm. The invention also relates to inks, light emitting materials including at least one ink, patterns including at least one ink, particles deposited on a support, optoelectronic devices including at least one ink and method for depositing an ink on a support.

According to the present invention, a carbon nanotube structure can be manufactured by merely a simple process in which carbon nanotubes are pulverized and mixed in a dispersion solvent without a dispersant, followed by freezing, and then the dispersion solvent is removed. Such a method does not require a dispersant and a binder so that the manufactured carbon nanotube structure can be composed of only carbon nanotubes, and does not depend on the other additives to form the carbon nanotube structure so that there is little possibility of damage and contamination of the structure during the collection procedure of the structure after the formation of the structure.