Ceramic forming

[Sceadwian]

This is a bit out there off topic but was wondering what other users might know about it. I use a shot blaster at work that uses a Zinc/Silicon Oxide ceramic as media; they're perfectly spherical beads about 250 microns in size. Anyone have any idea how they would manufacture something like that the beads being nearly perfect spheres I'm curious how they could form something like that enmass.

 

[duffy]

Probably just spray it, let surface tension do the rest.

 

[3v0]

Probably just spray it, let surface tension do the rest.

Agreed maybe some modern form of a shot tower.

 

[cr0sh]

Maybe they are made in the same or similar way as ball bearings (just smaller)?:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_(bearing)
**broken link removed**

 

[killivolt]

I found this one but, it's limited.

http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Bo-Ce/Ceramics.html#b

Two or three Paragraphs down talks a little about Spheres.

Edit: Here's another one but, same result.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsphere

 

[cr0sh]

http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Bo-Ce/Ceramics.html#b

Two or three Paragraphs down talks a little about Spheres.

Edit: Here's another one but, same result.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsphere

Great find; I loved that first article, and it does describe how such small spheres are formed (I didn't realize just how small 250 microns was). Both links were very interesting and informative!

 

[Joe G]

i recall some shotgun "shot" was formed by running through a screen onto a spinning flat plate and were harden by the time they flew off.