Fabrications of Metallic Oxide Doped Polystyrene Shells via Emulsion Techniques

New-type metallic oxide (M2O3 M = Cr, Al) doped plastic shells used for inertial confinement fusion experiments are fabricated with emulsion techniques. Three different phases of solution (W1, O, and W2) are adopted for the fabrication process. The W1 phase is 1 wt% of sodium lauryl sulfate in water. The W1 phase solution is mixed with a 3 wt% M2O3-PS solution in benzene-dichloroethane (O phase) while stirring. The mixed emulsion (W1/O) is then poured into a 3 wt% aqueous polyvinyl alcohol solution (W2 phase) while stirring. The resulting emulsion (W1/O/W2) is heated to evaporate benzene and dichloroethane, and thus, a solid M2O3-PS shell is formed. The diameter and wall thickness of the shells are 300 and 5 m, respectively. The average surface roughness of the final products is <30 nm. Other parameters, uniformity and sphericity, are 98.9 and 99.6%, similar to or better than that of the usual PS shells.