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An apparatus for forming particles from a liquid, including a rotor assembly having at least one surface sized and shaped so as to define at least one capillary. Each capillary has an inner region adjacent an axis of rotation of the rotor assembly, an outer region distal from the axis of rotation, a

An apparatus for forming particles from a liquid, including a rotor assembly having at least one surface sized and shaped so as to define at least one capillary. Each capillary has an inner region adjacent an axis of rotation of the rotor assembly, an outer region distal from the axis of rotation, and an edge adjacent the outer region. The rotor assembly is configured to be rotated at an angular velocity selected such that when the liquid is received in the inner region of the at least one capillary, the liquid will move from the inner region to the outer region, adopt an unsaturated condition on the at least one surface such that the liquid flows as a film along the at least one surface and does not continuously span the capillary, and, upon reaching the edge, separates from the at least one surface to form at least one particle.

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1. An apparatus for forming particles from a liquid, comprising: a. a rotor assembly having at least one surface sized and shaped so as to define at least one capillary, each capillary having an inner region adjacent an axis of rotation of the rotor assembly, an outer region distal from the axis of

1. An apparatus for forming particles from a liquid, comprising: a. a rotor assembly having at least one surface sized and shaped so as to define at least one capillary, each capillary having an inner region adjacent an axis of rotation of the rotor assembly, an outer region distal from the axis of rotation, and an edge adjacent the outer region;b. wherein the rotor assembly is configured to be rotated at an angular velocity selected such that when the liquid is received in the inner region of the at least one capillary, the liquid will move from the inner region to the outer region, adopt an unsaturated condition on the at least one surface such that the liquid flows as a film along the at least one surface and does not continuously span the capillary, and, upon reaching the edge, separates from the at least one surface to form at least one particle. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly includes two plates having opposing upper and lower planar surfaces spaced apart by a gap distance and defining at least one capillary therebetween. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the edge is a blunt edge. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the edge is a sharp edge having a radius selected to inhibit the accumulation of liquid thereon. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly includes at least three plates having at least two pairs of opposing planar surfaces, each pair of opposing planar surfaces spaced apart by a gap distance and defining a capillary therebetween. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plates has a bifurcated edge that allows two separate particle streams to emerge from an upper edge and lower edge thereof. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shroud adjacent the rotor assembly and configured to direct gas flowing around the rotor assembly as the rotor assembly rotates. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly is configured such that, during rotation, the rotor assembly interacts with surrounding gas so as to produce significant friction as a result of drag and thereby causes the rotor assembly to be heated. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly is configured to be rotated at a predetermined angular velocity and receive liquid at a flow rate so as to emit a generally continuous film, and wherein this continuous film can further disintegrate into particles. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a feed chamber for receiving the liquid, the feed chamber being adjacent the axis of rotation and in fluid communication with the inner region of each capillary. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly is provided in a sealed chamber, and wherein at least a partial vacuum is drawn within the chamber. 12. A method for forming particles, comprising the steps of: a. providing at least one surface sized and shaped so as to define at least one capillary, said capillary having an inner region, an outer region, and an edge;b. providing a liquid to the inner region of the at least one capillary; andc. rotating the capillary at an angular velocity selected such that the liquid will move from the inner region to the outer region, adopt an unsaturated condition on the at least one surface such that the liquid flows as a film along the at least one surface and does not continuously span the capillary, and, upon reaching the edge, separates from the at least one surface to form at least one particle. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid is provided to the inner region at an input mass flow rate, and the input mass flow rate and angular velocity are selected so that the liquid separates from the at least one surface as a generally continuous film. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid is provided to the inner region at an actual mass flow rate less than a potential mass flow rate of liquid that can be pumped by centripetal forces into the capillary. 15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of attenuating the particles after they have separated from the at least one surface. 16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of directing gas around or along the edge of the at least one capillary to facilitate the separation of or to transport the particles from the at least one edge. 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid is selected from the group consisting of: a. liquid polymers;b. molten glasses;c. molten metals;d. molten salts;e. minerals;f. ceramics;g. pure liquid substances;h. suspensions;i. emulsionsj. solutions; andk. mixtures. 18. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid is composed of two immiscible liquids that can be homogenized during their passage through the capillary and release from the edge. 19. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid is a melted polymer, and further comprising the step of melting the polymer to form the liquid, passing the molten polymer through the rotating capillary, and wherein the melted polymer solidifies by cooling after it separates from the at least one surface to form solid particles. 20. The method of claim 12, wherein the particles are fibers. 21. The method of claim 12, wherein the particles are droplets. 22. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid is a melted polymer, and further comprising the step of mixing the emitted particles of polymer with a gas having particles entrained therein so as to form a composite. 23. An apparatus for forming particles from a liquid, comprising: a. a rotor assembly having at least two plates secured to a spindle and having at least one pair of opposing surfaces thereon, each pair of opposing surfaces spaced apart by a gap distance and defining at least one capillary therebetween, said capillary having an inner region adjacent an axis of rotation of the rotor assembly, an outer region distal from the axis of rotation, and an edge adjacent the outer region;b. wherein the spindle is configured to be coupled to a drive apparatus configured to rotate the rotor assembly at an angular velocity selected such that when the liquid is received in the inner region of the at least one capillary, the liquid will move from the inner region to the outer region, adopt an unsaturated condition on the at least one surface such that the liquid flows as a film along the at least one surface and does not continuously span the capillary, and, upon reaching the edge, separates from the at least one surface to form at least one particle. 24. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gap distance is between about 5 and 2000 micrometers. 25. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sharp edge has a radius of less than 30 micrometers. 26. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least three plates includes an upper plate, a lower plate and at least one intermediate plate. 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the upper plate and lower plate have tapered profiles. 28. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the shroud is further configured so as to cause heated gas to impinge upon the particles in a coaxial direction during rotation of the rotor assembly. 29. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the rotor assembly is configured such that the diameter of the plates times the rate of rotation is greater than about 50,000 cm•RPM. 30. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the rotor assembly is configured such that the diameter of the plates times the rate of rotation is less than about 700,000 cm•RPM. 31. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the rotor assembly is configured such that the diameter of the plates times the rate of rotation is between about 10,000 cm•RPM and 1.4 million cm•RPM. 32. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the rotor assembly is configured such that the diameter of the plates times the rate of rotation is less than about 1.4 million cm•RPM. 33. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the rotor assembly is configured such that the diameter of the plates times the rate of rotation is greater than about 10,000 cm•RPM. 34. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the film disintegrates into particles with a poly-disperse range of sizes. 35. The apparatus of claim 34, further configured to provide high velocity jets of gas that interact with the continuous film to fibrillate or atomize the film into particles. 36. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one heater sized and shaped to heat the at least one particle. 37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the at least one heater is provided adjacent the edge of the rotor assembly. 38. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising at least one heater sized and shaped to heat the at least one particle. 39. The method of claim 13, further comprising transforming the continuous film outside of the capillary and within the surrounding space to form particles. 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the transforming of the continuous film includes impinging the continuous film with high velocity jets of gas to fibrillate or atomize the particles. 41. The method of claim 15, wherein the attenuating includes evaporation from a particle to leave a smaller droplet or a dry particle. 42. The method of claim 15, wherein the particles are ligaments or fibers, and the attenuating includes evaporation of a solvent. 43. The method of claim 15, wherein the particles are ligaments or fibers, and the attenuating includes elongation thereof in a surrounding gas. 44. The method of claim 15, wherein the attenuating of the particles includes electrostatic spinning. 45. The method of claim 15, wherein the attenuating of the particles includes directing heated gas on the particles. 46. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of providing at least one surface sized and shaped so as to define at least one capillary includes providing a rotor assembly including two plates having opposing upper and lower surfaces spaced apart by a gap distance to define at least one capillary therebetween. 47. The method of claim 46, wherein at least one of the plates has a blunt edge. 48. The method of claim 46, wherein at least one of the plates has a sharp edge having a radius selected to inhibit the accumulation of liquid thereon. 49. The method of claim 46, wherein at least one of the plates has a bifurcated edge that allows two separate particles streams to emerge from an upper edge and lower edge thereof. 50. The method of claim 16, wherein the directing gas causes the attenuation or subsequent chemical reaction or physical alteration of the emerging particles. 51. The method of claim 46, wherein the angular velocity and plate diameter are selected such that the diameter of the plate times the rate of rotation is greater than about 50,000 cm•RPM. 52. The method of claim 46, wherein the angular velocity and plate diameter are selected such that the diameter of the plate times the rate of rotation is between about 10,000 cm•RPM and 1.4 million cm•RPM. 53. The method of claim 46, wherein the angular velocity and plate diameter are selected such that the diameter of the plate times the rate of rotation is less than about 1.4 million cm•RPM. 54. The method of claim 46, wherein the angular velocity and plate diameter are selected such that the diameter of the plate times the rate of rotation is greater than about 10,000 cm•RPM. 55. The method of claim 46, wherein the angular velocity and plate diameter are selected such that the diameter of the plate times the rate of rotation may be as high as 700,000 cm•RPM. 56. The method of claim 46, wherein the angular velocity is selected such that, as the plates rotate, the plates interact with surrounding gas so as to produce significant friction as a result of drag and thereby causes the plates to be heated. 57. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of attenuating the particles as they solidify. 58. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of mixing the droplets with at least one gas. 59. The method of claim 58, wherein the liquid includes water and the gas includes carbon dioxide, and the mixing of the droplets as they pass through the surrounding carbon dioxide produces carbonated water. 60. The method of claim 58, wherein the at least one gas includes pollutants entrained therein, and wherein the mixing is configured to transfer the pollutants from the at least one gas into the droplets. 61. The method of claim 60, wherein the absorption is enhanced by providing chemicals within the droplets having an affinity for the pollutants. 62. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of subjecting the emitted droplets to a vacuum selected so as to freeze dry the droplets. 63. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of subjecting the emitted droplets to a vacuum so as to remove volatile contaminants. 64. The method of claim 58, wherein the at least one gas is heated so that the spray of fine droplets dries. 65. The method of claim 64 wherein the drying leaves a residual nonvolatile droplet or solid particle. 66. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of subjecting the emitted particles to at least one of a vacuum, heat, cooling, light and ionizing radiation. 67. The method of claim 22, wherein the particles are selected from the group consisting of: a. carbon;b. zeolites;c. absorbents;d. silicates;e. aluminas;f. minerals;g. ceramics;h. glass; andi. beads. 68. The method of claim 12, wherein the particles are produced at a mass rate of at least 20 grams per minute. 69. The method of claim 12, wherein the particles are produced at a mass rate of between about 20 and 50 grams per minute. 70. The method of claim 12, wherein the particles are produced at a mass rate of at least 200 grams per minute. 71. The method of claim 12, wherein the particles are produced at a mass flow rate of at least 1000 grams per minute. 72. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the rotor assembly is configured such that the diameter of the plates times the rate of rotation is between about 10,000 cm•RPM and 1.4 million cm•RPM. 73. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the rotor assembly is configured such that the diameter of the plates times the rate of rotation is less than about 1.4 million cm•RPM. 74. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the rotor assembly is configured such that the diameter of the plates times the rate of rotation is greater than about 10,000 cm•RPM. 75. A system for producing products, comprising: a. at least one apparatus for forming particles from a liquid, each apparatus having: i. a rotor assembly having at least one surface sized and shaped so as to define at least one capillary, each capillary having an inner region adjacent an axis of rotation of the rotor assembly, an outer region distal from the axis of rotation, and an edge adjacent the outer region;ii. wherein the rotor assembly is configured to be rotated at an angular velocity selected such that when the liquid is received in the inner region of the at least one capillary, the liquid will move from the inner region to the outer region, adopt an unsaturated condition on the at least one surface such that the liquid flows as a film along the at least one surface and does not continuously span the capillary, and, upon reaching the edge, separates from the at least one surface to form at least one particle; andb. a collection device for receiving the at least one particle. 76. The system of claim 75, wherein the at least one apparatus includes a first apparatus configured to deposit first particles in a first region of the collection device, and a second apparatus configured to deposit second particles in a second region of the collection device. 77. The system of claim 76, wherein the collection device is configured to move the received particles in at least one direction so that the resulting product tends have a smooth blend of particles from the first apparatus and second apparatus. 78. The system of claim 77, wherein the first and second particles are of different sizes. 79. The system of claim 77, wherein the first and second particles are made of different materials. 80. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of the plates is a bifurcated rotor plate formed by joining two separate plate members together. 81. The apparatus of claim 80, wherein the two separate plate members are metal and are coupled together by welding. 82. The apparatus of claim 80, wherein at least one of the two separate plate members is made of a 400 series stainless steel. 83. The apparatus of claim 80, further comprising an intermediate plate member provided between the two separate plate members. 84. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a porous medium provided between the two plates. 85. The apparatus of claim 84, wherein the porous medium spans the entire gap between the plates. 86. The apparatus of claim 84, wherein the porous medium includes at least a portion made of a sintered metal. 87. The apparatus of claim 84, wherein the porous medium has an annular shape and surrounds at least a portion of the inner region. 88. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the plates is sized and shaped to disturb the path of the liquid to encourage the liquid to contact the at least one surface. 89. The apparatus of claim 88, wherein at least one of the plates has a wavy profile. 90. The apparatus of claim 89, wherein the wavy profile is periodic. 91. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising at least one heating element adjacent at least one of the plates. 92. The apparatus of claim 91, wherein the at least one heating apparatus is configured to cooperate with the plates so as to draw air into the apparatus as the rotor assembly rotates. 93. The apparatus of claim 92, wherein the air drawn into the apparatus is heated by the heating elements for heating the plates to a desired operating temperature.