This study introduces a novel, simple, and scalable method of preparing spherical particles from a range of materials of potential interest in food, pharmaceuticals, energetics, and additive manufacturing. Spherical particles with dimensions in the range of ≈1–100 μm are prepared by mechanical milling of precursor materials in the presence of a blend of immiscible liquids. Microspheres of hard and ductile materials including metals (aluminum, titanium), metalloids (boron), oxides (of iron or silicon), organic compounds (melamine, sucrose), and composites (aluminum–boron, aluminum–titanium, aluminum–copper oxide, aluminum–iron oxide) were prepared. The proposed mechanism leading to the formation of spheres includes formation of a Pickering–Ramsden emulsion coexisting with a dense suspension of solids in the continuous phase. Milling continuously transfers energy to the multiphase mixture, destabilizing particles located on the liquid interface. This causes a net transport of solids from the continuous phase into the emulsion droplets where solids accumulate and form microspheres that can be recovered after milling. The process continues until the solid loading of the droplets exceeds a limit, or until the continuous phase suspension is depleted. Microspheres prepared by this method may be of interest as feedstock for additive manufacturing, for drug formulations, catalysts, membranes, and in various other technologies.

中文翻译：

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可以通过机械研磨制备具有多种材料成分的微球

这项研究介绍了一种新颖，简单且可扩展的方法，该方法可以从食品，制药，高能学和增材制造等领域中潜在感兴趣的材料中制备球形颗粒。通过在不混溶液体混合物的存在下对前体材料进行机械研磨来制备尺寸范围约为≈1–100μm的球形颗粒。硬质和易延展材料的微球，包括金属（铝，钛），准金属（硼），氧化物（铁或硅），有机化合物（三聚氰胺，蔗糖）和复合材料（铝-硼，铝-钛，铝-铜氧化物，准备了铝-氧化铁）。所提出的导致球体形成的机理包括形成Pickering-Ramsden乳液，该乳液与固体的致密悬浮液共存于连续相中。研磨连续地将能量转移到多相混合物中，从而破坏了位于液体界面上的颗粒的稳定性。这会导致固体从连续相向乳状液小滴的净转移，在其中乳状液会积聚并形成微球，可在研磨后将其回收。该过程继续进行，直到液滴的固体负荷超过极限为止，或者直到连续相悬浮液被耗尽为止。通过这种方法制备的微球可能作为增材制造，药物制剂，催化剂，膜以及各种其他技术的原料而受到关注。这将导致固体从连续相向乳状液小滴的净转移，在其中乳剂会积聚并形成微球，可在研磨后将其回收。该过程继续进行，直到液滴的固体负荷超过极限为止，或者直到连续相悬浮液被耗尽为止。通过这种方法制备的微球可能作为增材制造，药物制剂，催化剂，膜以及各种其他技术的原料而受到关注。这将导致固体从连续相向乳状液小滴的净转移，在其中乳剂会积聚并形成微球，可在研磨后将其回收。该过程一直持续到液滴的固体负载超过极限为止，或者直到连续相悬浮液被耗尽为止。通过这种方法制备的微球可能作为增材制造，药物制剂，催化剂，膜以及各种其他技术的原料而受到关注。