PRODUCTION OF SUBMICRON GLASS SPHERES FROM IMMISCIBLE GLASS PHASES

This paper presents the results of laboratory scale experiments aimed at verifying the effect of chemical composition and processing conditi ons on the solubility, mineral composition and morphology of a glass c omposed mainly of SiO2, P2O5 MgO and CaO. The results indicate that, b y controlling the cooling rate of melts with adequate composition, gla ss spheres of sub-micro-metric size can be produced as a consequence o f liquid-liquid phase separation. The SiO2 rich glass spheres with con trollable size can be separated from the continuous glass phase by dis solution of the latter with a weak acid followed by centrifugation.