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.