The invention relates to glass and glass-ceramic particles of nanocrystalline size. It is further concerned with methods of producing materials of such minute particle size.
The term "nanocrystalline" refers to particles having a diameter or thickness on the order of a nanometer. More particularly, it is here used to refer to particles in the size range of 0.1 to 100 Angstrom units. Such minute particles are characterized by large surface areas, as measured by the nitrogen absorption (BET) method.
Particles of nanocrystalline size are of interest in diverse applications. In general, they react with each other, or with other materials, at lower temperatures than are normally required for the same reaction of such materials in a bulk state. Thus, they are of particular value in forming composite materials with either organic or inorganic reactants.
It is known to delaminate phyllosilicate materials to produce platelets of nanocrystalline size. It is a purpose of the present invention to provide particles of corresponding size from glass and glass-ceramic materials.