The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for forming particles
using supercritical fluid. The method includes the steps of mixing a load material
with a first flow of a supercritical fluid in a first mixing chamber having a primary
mixing device disposed therein to form a melt, transferring the melt from the first
mixing chamber to a second mixing chamber having a secondary mixing device disposed
therein, mixing the melt with a second flow of the supercritical fluid in the second
mixing chamber to form a lower viscosity melt, expanding the lower viscosity melt
across a pressure drop into an expansion chamber that is at a pressure below the
critical pressure of the supercritical fluid to convert the supercritical fluid
to a gas and thereby precipitate the load material in the form of particles.