METHOD FOR INTRODUCTION OF GASES INTO MICROSPHERES

摘要

A method is described 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 500 mu with both thin walls (0.5 to 4/sub mu /) and thick walls (5 to 20/sub mu /) that contain various fill gases, such as Ar, Kr, Xe, Br, D, H sub 2 , DT, He, N sub 2 , Ne, CO sub 2 , 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-form-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. (ERA citation 05:030338)