Spherulizing furnace and process of manufacturing vitreous beads

Abstract

A spherulizing furnace for manufacturing vitreous beads includes feed means for delivering particulate feedstock, a spherulizing zone in which the feedstock particles may be heated and converted to vitreous beads, and means for collecting the resulting beads, wherein the feed means includes a reservoir adapted to hold a fluidized bed of feedstock particles, the reservoir having at least one overflow feed outlet opening over which fluidized particles flow under gravity for delivery to the spherulizing zone. A process of manufacturing vitreous beads, and vitreous beads made thereby, includes delivering feedstock to a spherulizing zone of a spherulizing furnace, passing the feedstock through the spherulizing zone so that the feedstock is heated and converted to vitreous beads, and collecting the beads. The feedstock particles are delivered under gravity by fluidized overflow from a fluidized bed reservoir to the spherulizing zone.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.