Methods of forming a plurality of spheres; and pluralities of spheres

Abstract

The invention includes a method of forming a plurality of spheres. A passageway is provided, and the passageway terminates in an orifice. A liquid is flowed through the passageway and expelled through the orifice to form drops. The drops are then passed through a fluid to cool and solidify the drops into a plurality of spheres. 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.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.