Preparation of Hollow Glass Microspheres (HGMs) from Amber Coloured and Borosilicate Glass Frits

Abstract

Hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) are a unique class of materials with interconnected pores in the microsphere walls, which can adsorb, retain and release hydrogen and other gases. In this study, HGMs was prepared from amber coloured and borosilicate glass frits. The glass frits after the preliminary washing and drying was sized to particles below 120 μm. The hollow glass microspheres were successfully fabricated from the glass powder by flame spheroidisation using air-acetylene flame. Effect of glass feed particle size as well as feed rate, in the formation of HGMs was studied. Glass feed particle size >75 μm and that <45 μm were found to give very poor yield of HGMs, whereas particles 50-75 μm gave very good yield for HGMs. Further study of the process parameters and constant monitoring to regulate the process are being carried out in our laboratory to arrive at a correct figure for the yield of HGMs. Characterisation of the HGMs prepared was done using Image analysing system, SEM, and XRD. The composition of the raw material and the product HGMs were determined using ICP-AES.