초록 ▼

A method for producing small hollow glass spheres filled with a gas by introduction of the gas during formation of the hollow glass spheres. Hollow glass microspheres having a diameter up to about 500mmm2, D2, He, N2, Ne, CO2, etc. in the interior thereof, can be produced by the diffusion of the fil

A method for producing small hollow glass spheres filled with a gas by introduction of the gas during formation of the hollow glass spheres. Hollow glass microspheres having a diameter up to about 500mmm2, D2, He, N2, Ne, CO2, etc. in the interior thereof, can be produced by the diffusion of the fill gas or gases into the microsphere during the formation thereof from a liquid droplet of glass-forming solution. This is accomplished by filling at least a portion of the multiple-zone drop-furnace used in producing hollow microspheres with the gas or gases of interest, and then taking advantage of the high rate of gaseous diffusion of the fill gas through the wall of the gel membrane before it transforms into a glass microsphere as it is processed in the multiple-zone furnace. Almost any gas can be introduced into the inner cavity of a glass microsphere by this method during the formation of the microsphere provided that the gas is diffused into the gel membrane or microsphere prior to its transformation into glass. The process of this invention provides a significant savings of time and related expense of filling glass microspheres with various gases. For example, the time for filling a glass microballoon with 1 atmosphere of DT is reduced from about two hours to a few seconds.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of filling a hollow glass microsphere with at least one gaseous material during formation of the microsphere comprising the steps of: forming a thin hollow gel membrane from a solution of glass forming material; filling an environment around the gel membrane with a gaseous material capable

A method of filling a hollow glass microsphere with at least one gaseous material during formation of the microsphere comprising the steps of: forming a thin hollow gel membrane from a solution of glass forming material; filling an environment around the gel membrane with a gaseous material capable of diffusing into the membrane and selected from the group consisting of Ar, Kr, Xe, N2, CO2, Br, Ne, He, H2, D2, Dt and combinations thereof, so that the gaseous material diffuses into the thin hollow gel membrane during forming thereof; and rapidly collapsing the gel membrane to form a hollow glass microsphere trapping the gaseous material in the microsphere.