PLASMA TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GLASS MICROBEADS BASED ON THE BREAKAGE OF CONTAINER AND GRADED GLASSES

A technology – based on the breakage of graded and container glasses – was developed for the production of glass microbeads in a plasma reactor. The regularities of the influence of the flow rate of plasma-forming gas argon and the power of the plasma reactor on the fractional composition of glass microbeads were established. It was shown that with an increase in the flow rate of plasma-forming gas from 1.0 m3/hour to 2,0 m3/hour and the current strength from 300 A to 400 A, the amount of fraction over 630 microns increases due to coagulation processes. It was established that under the influence of high plasma temperatures, about 6000-8000 K, complete melting and sphering of particles occur with the formation of glass microbeads ranging in size from 80 microns to 1250 microns. The microhardness, acid resistance and alkali resistance of glass microbeads were investigated.