Process and apparatus for producing inorganic spheres

1. A process for producing inorganic spheres, comprising:

injecting an aqueous liquid comprising an inorganic compound into a laminar flow of an organic liquid which runs at a flow rate of from 0.001 to 2 m/s and at a Reynolds number of at most 2,100 in a flow path through a porous membrane to form a W/O type emulsion; and

solidifying the aqueous liquid comprising an inorganic compound in the W/O type emulsion;

wherein:

the porous membrane has a pore size of from 0.01 to 20 μm;

the porous membrane has a porosity of from 10 to 90%;

the porous membrane comprises a fluororesin; and

the porous membrane comprises fibers that are connected three-dimensionally via nodes.

2. The process for producing inorganic spheres according to claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane has a thickness of from 1 to 2,000 μm.

3. The process for producing inorganic spheres according to claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane has a D 90 /D 10 of from 2 to 10, wherein D 10 and D 90 are pore sizes at which the cumulative pore size distribution curve of the porous membrane on a minimum diameter basis reaches 10% and 90%, respectively.

4. The process for producing inorganic spheres according to claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane has a bubble point of from 0.001 to 1 MPa.

5. The process for producing inorganic spheres according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure loss between the upstream end and the downstream end of the flow path for the organic liquid is from 10 to 5,000 Pa.

6. The process for producing inorganic spheres according to claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane is set at an angle of at least 30° to a horizontal plane, and the organic liquid runs upwards along the porous membrane.

7. The process for producing inorganic spheres according to claim 1 ,

wherein:

the porous membrane has a pore size of from 0.01 to 10 μm.

8. The process for producing inorganic spheres according to claim 1 , wherein the Reynolds number is at most 1,500.

9. The process for producing inorganic spheres according to claim 1 , wherein the Reynolds number is at most 700.

10. The process for producing inorganic spheres according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic compound comprises potassium silicate or sodium silicate.

11. The process for producing inorganic spheres according to claim 1 , wherein the organic liquid comprises a C 9-12 saturated hydrocarbon.

12. The process for producing inorganic spheres according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate of the organic liquid is from 0.01 to 1 m/s.