CARRIER FOR POWDER MATERIALS
A carrier for delivering powder materials includes a microsphere, such as a glass microbead, bead and a coating provided on the glass microbead. If the powder material is an inorganic powder, the coating is preferably a dipodal polysiloxane. If the powder material is an organic powder, the coating is preferably vinyl polysiloxane. The microsphere carrier provides a controlled distribution of the powder material for industrial and other applications.
1 . A carrier for delivering powder materials comprising:
a. a microbead; and
b. a coating provided on the microbead, the coating having an affinity for the powder material.
2 . The carrier of claim 1 in which the microbead is a glass microbead.
3 . The carrier of claim 1 in which the powder material is inorganic and the coating is a dipodal polysiloxane.
4 . The carrier of claim 1 in which the powder material is an organic powder and the coating is vinyl polysiloxane.
5 . The carrier of claim 1 in which the diameter of the microbead is in the range of 10 μm to 2360 μm.
6 . The carrier of claim 5 in which the ratio of the weight of the coating to the weight of the microbead is in the range of 0.1 to 0.2% (w/w).
7 . The carrier of claim 5 in which the ratio of the weight of the powder material to the weight of the microbead is in the range of 2 to 10% (w/w).
8 . A powder-coated microbead comprising:
a. a microbead;
b. a coating provided on the microbead, the coating being one of a dipodal silane and vinyl polysiloxane, the coating having an affinity for the powder material; and
c. a powder material provided on said coating.
9 . The powder-coated microbead of claim 8 in which the microbead is a glass microbead.
10 . The powder-coated microbead of claim 8 in which the powder material is inorganic and the coating is a dipodal polysiloxane.
11 . The powder-coated microbead of claim 8 in which the powder material is an organic powder and the coating is vinyl polysiloxane.
12 . The powder-coated microbead of claim 8 in which the diameter of the microbead is in the range of 10 μm to 2360 μm.
13 . The powder-coated microbead of claim 12 in which the ratio of the weight of the coating to the weight of the microbead is in the range of 0.1 to 0.2% (w/w).
14 . The powder-coated microbead of claim 12 in which the ratio of the weight of the powder material to the weight of the microbead is in the range of 2 to 10% (w/w).
15 . A method for delivering a powder material comprising:
a. providing a microbead;
b. providing a coating on the microbead, the coating having an affinity for the powder material; and
c. providing the powder material on the coating to form a powder-coated microbead;
in which the powder-coated microbead provides metered delivery of the powder material.
16 . The method of claim 15 in which the microbead is a glass microbead.
17 . The method of claim 15 in which the powder material is inorganic and the coating is a dipodal polysiloxane.
18 . The method of claim 15 in which the powder material is an organic powder and the coating is vinyl polysiloxane.
19 . The method of claim 15 in which the diameter of the microbead is in the range of 10 μm to 2360 μm.
20 . The method of claim 19 in which the ratio of the weight of the coating to the weight of the microbead is in the range of 0.1 to 0.2% (w/w).
21 . The method of claim 19 in which the ratio of the weight of the powder material to the weight of the microbead is in the range of 2 to 10% (w/w).