Apparatus and process to enhance the uniform formation of hollow glass microspheres
View Patent ↗A process and apparatus is provided for enhancing the formation of a uniform population of hollow glass microspheres. A burner head is used which directs incoming glass particles away from the cooler perimeter of the flame cone of the gas burner and distributes the glass particles in a uniform manner throughout the more evenly heated portions of the flame zone. As a result, as the glass particles are softened and expand by a released nucleating gas so as to form a hollow glass microsphere, the resulting hollow glass microspheres have a more uniform size and property distribution as a result of experiencing a more homogenous heat treatment process.
1. A process of making hollow glass microspheres comprising:
supplying a plurality of granular glass particles having an average particle size of between about 1 micron to about 80 microns;
introducing said plurality of glass particles into a fuel feed stream of a glass burner, said plurality of glass particles being present at a ratio of about 1 gram per 3 standard cubic feet per minute to said fuel stream;
passing said fuel feed stream and said introduced glass particles into said gas burner, said burner further defining an interior reduced diameter wall region and adjacent an intake region of a plurality of conduits positioned within the glass flow pathway;
directing said fuel feed stream and said glass particles through said conduits and thereby equalizing a velocity of both the fuel feed stream and the glass particles as the particles and fuel feed stream are directed to a flame zone of said gas burner;
forming hollow glass microspheres from said glass particles as said glass particles release a latent blowing agent, said blowing agent expanding said glass particles into hollow glass microspheres as said glass particles pass through the flame zone of said burner; and,
quenching said hollow glass microspheres within a cooling fluid as said hollow glass microspheres exit said flame zone of said gas burner.
2. The process according to claim 1 wherein said reduced diameter region is positioned so as to direct glass particles away from the edge walls of said burner head.
3. The process according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of conduits extends a length of a burner head of the gas burner.
4. The process according to claim 1 wherein said step of quenching further comprises directing said hollow glass microspheres into a vessel.
5. The process according to claim 4 comprising an additional step of collecting the hollow glass microspheres by vacuum collection.
6. The process according to claim 4 wherein said quenching step further comprises collecting said hollow glass microspheres within the quenching fluid.
7. The process according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of conduits extends along an entire length of said burner head.
8. A process of making hollow glass microspheres comprising:
supplying a plurality of granular glass particles having an average particle size of between about 1 micron to about 80 microns;
introducing said plurality of glass particles into a fuel feed stream of a glass burner, said plurality of glass particles being present at a ratio of about 1 gram per 3 standard cubic feet per minute to said fuel stream;
mixing the feed stream and the glass particles prior to delivery to a flame zone of the glass burner;
passing said fuel feed stream and said introduced glass particles into said gas burner, said burner further defining an interior reduced diameter wall region and adjacent an intake region of a plurality of conduits extending axially along a length of said burner head and positioned within both the glass flow pathway and the fuel feed stream and thereby equalizing a velocity of both the fuel feed stream and the glass particles as the particles and fuel feed stream are directed to the flame zone of said gas burner;
forming hollow glass microspheres from said glass particles as said glass particles release a latent blowing agent, said blowing agent expanding said glass particles into hollow glass microspheres as said glass particles pass through the flame zone of said burner; and,
quenching said hollow glass microspheres within a cooling fluid as said hollow glass microspheres exit said flame zone of said gas burner.