METHODS OF FORMING A PLURALITY OF SPHERES; AND PLURALITIES OF SPHERES

摘要

The invention includes a method of forming a plurality of spheres. A passageway (16) is provided, and the passageway terminates in an orifice (18). A liquid is flowed through the passageway and expelled through the orifice to form drops (22). The drops are then passed through a fluid to cool and solidify the drops into a plurality of spheres (23). At least some of the spheres are collected. A pressure of the liquid is maintained within about +10 % of a value during the formation of the drops that are cooled into the collected spheres. The invention also includes a plurality of at least several hundred spheres having a diameter of less than about 0.05 inches and characterized by at least 95 % of the spheres being within +1.3 % of a mean diameter of the spheres.