In order to provide a dispersion method and a dispersion apparatus capable of mixing a material to be processed and a dispersion medium having no affinity with each other using a single apparatus without using a dispersant, there are provided a quantitative supply mechanism quantitatively supplying a material to be processed, a suction stirring mechanism primarily including a suction stirring pump in which the material to be processed and a dispersion medium are subjected to negative pressure suction by a negative pressure suction force generated by rotation of a rotating blade and the suctioned material to be processed and the dispersion medium are stirred and mixed by the rotating blade and are allowed to pass through a throttle passage to cause cavitation, and a plasma generating mechanism generating a plasma in bubbles formed due to cavitation in a mixed liquid of the material to be processed and the dispersion medium.

Boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) dispersions and methods of fabricating the same are provided. Tip sonication-assisted hydrolysis can be utilized, with a dispersant/surfactant (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)). The fabrication process can be used to obtain large scale BNNT dispersions with long term stability (e.g., stability for at least 3 months, at least 4 months, at least 5 months, at least 6 months, or about 6 months).

In order to provide a dispersion method and a dispersion apparatus capable of mixing a material to be processed and a dispersion medium having no affinity with each other using a single apparatus without using a dispersant, there are provided a quantitative supply mechanism quantitatively supplying a material to be processed, a suction stirring mechanism primarily including a suction stirring pump in which the material to be processed and a dispersion medium are subjected to negative pressure suction by a negative pressure suction force generated by rotation of a rotating blade and the suctioned material to be processed and the dispersion medium are stirred and mixed by the rotating blade and are allowed to pass through a throttle passage to cause cavitation, and a plasma generating mechanism generating a plasma in bubbles formed due to cavitation in a mixed liquid of the material to be processed and the dispersion medium.

An apparatus, comprising a magnetically conductive conduit having a fluid entry port, a fluid impervious boundary wall and a fluid discharge port defining a fluid impervious flow path through the magnetically conductive conduit, at least one end of the conduit having a taper forming a planar surface extending from an outer to an inner surface; an electrical conductor comprising a length of an electrical conducting material having a first and second conductor lead, the electrical conductor coiled with at least one turn to form an uninterrupted coil of electrical conductor encircling a section of the outer surface of the magnetically conductive conduit; and an electrical power supply operably connected to at least one of the first and second conductor leads, wherein the at least one coiled electrical conductor is thereby energized to provide a magnetic field having lines of flux directed along a longitudinal axis of the magnetically conductive conduit.

A method of making a homogeneous mixture of polyolefin solids and liquid additive without melting the polyolefin solids during the making The method comprises applying acoustic energy at a frequency of from 20 to 100 hertz to a heterogeneous mixture comprising the polyolefin solids and the liquid additive for a period of time sufficient to substantially intermix the polyolefin solids and the liquid additive together and while maintaining temperature of the heterogeneous mixture above the freezing point of the at least one liquid additive and below the melting temperature of the polyolefin solids, thereby making the homogeneous mixture without melting the polyolefin solids.

A method of making a homogeneous mixture of polyolefin solids and a particulate solid additive without melting the polyolefin solids or the particulate solid additive during the making. The method comprises applying acoustic energy at a frequency of from 20 to 100 hertz to a heterogeneous mixture comprising the polyolefin solids and the particulate solid additive for a period of time sufficient to substantially intermix the polyolefin solids and the particulate solid additive together and while maintaining temperature of the heterogeneous mixture below the melting point of the at least one particulate solid additive and below the melting temperature of the polyolefin solids, thereby making the homogeneous mixture without melting the polyolefin solids or the at least one particulate solid additive.

Methods and devices for formulating scented nanoemulsions and dispersing one or more scents is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes providing a first mixture including water and a water surfactant, providing a second mixture including a fragrance material and an fragrance surfactant, mixing the first and second mixtures to create a temporary emulsion, and performing one or more high-energy homogenizations to the temporary emulsion until one or more desired physical properties of a resulting nanoemulsion are obtained. In some embodiments, the one or more high-energy homogenizations includes microfludization, sonication, and high-shear mixing. In some embodiments, the resulting nanoemulsion may thereafter be dispersed as a scent via an aerosolizing device. In some embodiments, the aerosolizing device may disburse scents in response to actions and/or events experienced in an AV/AR system.

A method of mixing magnetic particles (3) in a reaction chamber (2) that is part of a microfluidic device and that contains the said particles in suspension, comprises the steps: (a) providing an electromagnetic means (1,1,6,7) to generate magnetic field sequences having polarity and intensity that vary in time and a magnetic field gradient that covers the whole space of the said reaction chamber (2); (b) applying a first magnetic field sequence to separate or confine the particles (3) so the particles occupy a sub-volume in the volume of the reaction chamber (2); (c) injecting a defined volume of the said reagent in the reaction chamber; and (d) applying a second magnetic field sequence to leads the particles (3) to be homogenously distributed and dynamically moving over a substantial portion of the whole reaction chamber volume.

A method of making a homogeneous mixture of polyolefin solids and liquid additive without melting the polyolefin solids during the making. The method comprises applying acoustic energy at a frequency of from 20 to 100 hertz to a heterogeneous mixture comprising the polyolefin solids and the liquid additive for a period of time sufficient to substantially intermix the polyolefin solids and the liquid additive together and while maintaining temperature of the heterogeneous mixture above the freezing point of the at least one liquid additive and below the melting temperature of the polyolefin solids, thereby making the homogeneous mixture without melting the polyolefin solids.

A method of making a homogeneous mixture of polyolefin solids and a particulate solid additive without melting the polyolefin solids or the particulate solid additive during the making. The method comprises applying acoustic energy at a frequency of from 20 to 100 hertz to a heterogeneous mixture comprising the polyolefin solids and the particulate solid additive for a period of time sufficient to substantially intermix the polyolefin solids and the particulate solid additive together and while maintaining temperature of the heterogeneous mixture below the melting point of the at least one particulate solid additive and below the melting temperature of the polyolefin solids, thereby making the homogeneous mixture without melting the polyolefin solids or the at least one particulate solid additive.