Glass bubble,Hollow glass microspheres , Glass sphere beads, Manufacturer & suppliers

Hollow glass microspheres are a free-flowing, oleophilic product that is low in density (0.19g/cm3 ) and small in particle size (75µm, avg). This product is especially suited for use in adhesive applications.

When hollow glass microsphere is added to a “workhorse” epoxy resin system (bisphenol-A, cured with a modified aliphatic amine) at volume levels of 9 and 18%, resin density is reduced substantially, while lap-shear adhesive strength is retained, and in some cases, improved.

Additionally when used to augment the same resin system containing conventional solid fillers (calcium carbonate with fumed silica), hollow glass microspheres impart similar benefits. The data collected in the study illustrate the benefits gained from the use of hollow glass microspheres in the epoxy system.

Benefits include:

• Formulation density reduction, leading to cost savings.

• Maintenance of adhesive performance, potential improvement in bond strength at ambient temperatures and after exposure to elevated temperature stress.

• Viscosity optimization of the formulation, aiding in sag prevention and development of adequate “glue-line”.

These types of plastics are made by melt blending that includes Poly PCL which has hollow glass microspheres incorporated inside them. Further, with the added effect of treatments such as silanization on the hollow glass sphere, there is a difference brought in the properties of the silanized sphere vs. the unsilanized sphere. The analysis with silanization reflects that the dissemination of glass particles in the matrix of polymer in every case of a filer which is good, the silanized hollow glass microsphere showed a matrix adhesion.

In terms of its thermal nature, it is shown that the rate of crystallization is significantly enhanced and the stability also is enhanced as compared to a PCL without hollow glass microspheres. By adding the hollow glass sphere the mechanical nature of the product is altered which leads to an increase in the stiffness of the material. The tensile strength especially enhances quite significantly in comparison to untreated PCL. This behaviour observes by the hollow glass microsphere filled composites is the tensile strength is enhanced and with the addition of a silane agent the matrix adhesion is also improved.

Research shows that by incorporating 20% wt. of hollow glass microsphere the density is decreased by about 12% compared to a PCL without microspheres. With plastics the lightweight materials when reduced in density do not lose out on any mechanical properties, it remains intact. Hollow glass microspheres in this regard are one of the most effective and very affordable glass microspheres which have multiple uses.

One of the main goals when designing a part, a tool, and a processing method utilizing hollow glass microspheres is to minimize shear stresses to avoid crushing the spheres. Lack of proper attention to this factor may result in sharply reduced properties in the end product and increased part weight.

A single-screw design for incorporating iM30K microspheres into thermoplastic resins should contain a dispersive mixing element, which typically serves to break up agglomerates of fine particles. Examples of such mixing elements are the classic Maddock mixer (a fluted cylinder) or Saxton mixer (a densely flighted screw with a crosscut through the flights), though many others are available. The screw design should also have a distributive mixing element, which usually involves pin mixing sections.

In single-screw extruders, the iM30K microspheres should be added at a downstream feed port after the resin has been melted, just before the beginning of the metering zone, to minimize potential breakage of the spheres. They are added before the distributive mixing elements, in the middle of the compression section of the screw.

To mold polymers filled with hollow glass microspheres, a general-purpose injection screw is best. Other types of screws—like barrier, double-vane, or vented—are not recommended for processing hollow glass microspheres. The minimum diameter of the screw should be 1.5 in.

When molding with hollow glass microspheres, low backpressure of around 10 to 50 psi should be used. The hollow glass microspheres within the molten resin are apt to break when exposed to excessive injection speed and pressure. The injection speed should be kept low to medium. Unlike with previous microspheres, which limited cavity pressures to 10,000 psi, iM30K spheres can withstand 20,000 psi or more.

A variety of gates can be used, but to retain the hollow glass microspheres’ integrity, minimum gate width should be 0.06 in. As stated earlier, S-7 and H-13 type mold steels are recommended for producing parts filled with hollow glass microspheres.

Composites suitable for rotational molding technology based on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and filled with hollow glass microspheres or functionalized hollow glass microspheres were prepared via melt-compounding. The functionalization of hollow glass microspheres was carried out by a silanization treatment in order to improve the compatibility between the inorganic particles and the polymer matrix and achieve a good dispersion of hollow glass microspheres in the matrix and an enhanced filler–polymer adhesion.

The crystallization behavior of materials was studied by DSC under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions and the nucleating effect of the hollow glass microspheres was proven. In particular, the presence of silanized hollow glass microspheres promoted faster crystallization rates and higher nucleation activity, which are enhanced by 75% and 50%, respectively, comparing neat PCL and the composite filled with 20 wt% hollow glass microsphere.

The crystalline and supermolecular structure of PCL and composites crystallized from the melt was evaluated by WAXD and SAXS, highlighting differences in terms of crystallinity index and structural parameters as a function of the adopted crystallization conditions.

Hollow glass microsphere that also known as vitrified small ball is a kind of micron-sized hollow sphere with smooth surface, its main chemical composition is soda lime borosilicate glass, and the natural accumulation state of them is white light inorganic powder. Composition and hollow structure endow the microspheres with unique properties different from other inorganic non-metallic or hollow materials.

In addition to low density, high compressive strength, high temperature or corrosion resistance, low thermal conductivity, nice fluidity and chemical stability, advantages such as non-toxic, odorless, electric insulation, sound-proofing, anti-radiation, self-lubrication and easy surface modification are also showed by hollow glass microspheres.

These characteristics make hollow glass microspheres widely used as additives in many fields, such as water-based lightweight building insulation paint, low-density drilling fluids and cementing slurry, lightweight components in aerospace and vehicles, ship floating block and coatings, electronic components, high molecular composite materials, putty powder, artificial marble, and natural / synthetic products, etc.

Nowadays, hollow glass micropheres composites are also an object of study in additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, to improve flow melting and thermal insulation. Özbay and Serhatlı studied processing and properties of different combinations of hollow glass microphere filled with polyamide 12 (PA12) matrix, by Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) manufacturing method. As a result, they obtained a 20% of density reduction and a significant rise in the E-modulus with the composition PA12/hollow glass microphere (80/20).

In the automotive industry, the polyamide (PA6) and polyamide 6.6 (PA66) are often used because of their typical hydrogen bonds, due to their polar chemical structure, with a short GF reinforcement, commonly 30 wt%. Composites of PA6 or PA66 reinforced with glass fibers ensure great mechanical and thermal properties and can be found in air intake manifolds, rocker covers, radiator end tanks, fuel rails, electrical connectors, engine encapsulation and others. In this sense, GF and hollow glass microphere combination may constitute an excellent solution to combine lower density, dimensional stability, and good mechanical properties. Berman et al. have studied the effects of replacing calcium carbonate (high density filler) with hollow glass microphere (low density filler) in an unsaturated polyester resin matrix sheet molding compound (SMC) reinforced with short GF (10~15 wt%). The composite was fabricated in SMC manufacturing, lay-up and hot pressing. As a result, they obtained a 12% of density reduction but compromised the mechanical properties. Nevertheless, all values of tensile, flexural and impact properties were higher than the corresponding properties of low and ultra-low-density composites reported in the literature.

Thus, the goal of this study was to fabricate a composite based in PA6 reinforced with GF and hollow glass microphere and to investigate the effects of hollow glass microphere content on the density, mechanical properties of the composites comparing its properties with the traditional PA6/GF (70/30) wt% composite, widely used today in automotive industries. It’s expected to find a formulation with at least 10% density reduction and maintenance of mechanical properties. In this paper, fundamental results for understanding the relationship between structure and property of both the matrix and the fillers will be discussed in terms of microscopic observations, mechanical properties, and thermal stability.

Hollow glass microspheres, also called bubbles, microbubbles, or micro balloons, provide the benefits of low density, high heat and chemical resistance.

These microscopic spheres of soda-lime/borosilicate glass are low-density particles that are used in a wide range of industries. The hollow microspheres are used to reduce warpage and shrinkage, to adjust the rheological properties, to reduce part weight, and to lower cost.

Hollow glass microspheres have been used as low-density fillers for various kinds of polymeric compounds. Hollow Glass Microspheres for the applications of paint & coating, construction & insulation coating. Due to its excellent advantages of lightweight, bulk density, lower thermal conductivity, higher compressive strength, improved dispersion and liquidity.

Our hollow glass microspheres are genuine and cost-effective alternative having similar specification which have a relative density in the range of 0.15 to 0.20g/cc.

Hollow glass microspheres are a ultra-lightweight, inorganic, non-metallic, hollow alternative to conventional fillers and additives. They find applications in many demanding industries such as paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, cast polyester, compounding and many more. The low-density material is used to reduce weight, lower costs and enhance product properties.

The unique spherical shape of the hollow glass microspheres offer a number of important benefits, including higher filler loading, lower viscosity and reduced shrinkage. It further makes it more adaptable to a variety of production processes including spraying, casting and molding.

The chemically stable soda-lime-borosilicate glass composition provides excellent water resistance to create more stable emulsions. They are non-combustible and non-porous, so they do not absorb resin. The hollow glass microspheres also create stable voids, which result in low thermal conductivity and low dielectric constant.

Hollow glass microspheres are available in a variety of sizes and grades to help you meet your product and processing requirements.

The Global Hollow Glass Microspheres market is anticipated to rise at a considerable rate during the forecast period, between 2022 and 2028. In 2021, the market is growing at a steady rate and with the rising adoption of strategies by key players, the market is expected to rise over the projected horizon.

Hollow glass microspheres are a new type of material developed widely in recent years with excellent performance. The main components of the product are borosilicates, hollow spheres with a particle size of 10-250 μm and a wall thickness of 1-2 μm. This product has the advantages of light weight, low thermal conductivity, high strength and good chemical stability. After special treatment, it has the properties of lipophilic and hydrophobic, and it is very easy to disperse in organic materials such as resins. Hollow glass microspheres are widely used in glass fiber reinforced plastics, artificial marble, artificial agate, and other composite materials, and have obvious weight-reducing effect and sound insulation effect, so that the products have good crack resistance and reworkability. Widely used in aviation, aerospace, new high-speed trains, luxury yachts, thermal insulation coatings, bowling, and other areas, and played a unique good role.

First of all, the increasing demand for hollow glass microspheres drives the market size structural properties such as recyclability, reusability increase demand for efficiency, and modernization of infrastructure. Second, North America dominates the global hollow glass microspheres market, and is experiencing high growth owing to the increased demand for efficiency in many end-user industries. Product innovation in terms of quality and application development is another driving factor for the growth of hollow glass microspheres market in North America. The U.S. and Canada are expected to lead the hollow glass microspheres market in the North American region, the U.S. Asia Pacific is growing at a significant rate as these materials have started gaining prominence in this region. The growth in this region can be attributed to increased consumption of hollow glass microspheres in China.

The Global Hollow Glass Microspheres Market Size was estimated at USD 209.43 million in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 349.72 million by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.60% during the forecast period.

Polymer is a very broad term that encompassed a large amount of materials. The world “polymer” refers to materials that are composed of repeating identical molecules.

The type of molecule, the length of the chain, the amount of cross-linking, the presence of various chemical groups – all affect the behavior as well as chemical and physical properties of the material.

Many different polymers can be used as raw materials for hollow glass microspheres. The most common polymer microspheres are made from polyethylene, polystyrene, and poly(methyl methacrylate).