Patent ID: 8701441
Filing Date: 2014-04-22
Classification: C03B,C03C,C08K,G02B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A process for making inorganic, metal oxide spheres, the process comprising: forming a glass precursor composition comprising glass precursor particles dispersed in a vehicle such that the composition forms a dispersion, the vehicle including at least one of water, an organic liquid, and a binder; filling a plurality of mold cavities with the glass precursor composition; solidifying the glass precursor composition in the mold cavities to form solidified, molded microparticles; demolding the solidified, molded microparticles from the plurality of mold cavities, the molded microparticles each having a volume of no greater than 8,000,000,000 μm exposing the solidified, molded microparticles, after demolding, to a temperature sufficient to transform the molded microparticles into homogeneous molten glass; and cooling the homogeneous molten glass to form inorganic, metal oxide spheres.