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

Glass bubbles are finely dissipated, free-streaming fine particles created by dissolving a unique glass equation which comprises of an inert blowing specialist which makes the liquefied glass particles swell into an empty air pocket. The subsequent glass bubbles are water-safe, and viable and synthetically stable with different materials that are utilized for aberrant food contact applications. In the coming years, material innovation has developed to make bubbles with high solidarity to thickness proportion, subsequently empowering its utilization in requesting polymer handling activities.

On the flipside, inflexible and underlying properties of glass bubble froth give an extra protection worth to dividers and lodgings. Moreover, glass bubbles convey weight decrease for thermosets, thermoplastics, and elastomeric polymer substrates. This aides lessening transporting cost and furthermore facilitates establishment issues. The expansion of glass bubbles to polymers changes its actual property. Adding glass to bubble polymers makes the composites stiffer when contrasted with its unique unfilled base gum. This is valuable in the assembling of solid yet light lodgings and parts.

Nevertheless, the quick extension of the auto business, particularly in the U.S., is expected to help the market during the gauge time frame. Besides, severe discharge control guidelines in the U.S. what’s more, different nations in the Europe is expected to fuel the interest for glass bubbles at a huge speed in the years to come.

Additives, particularly inorganic solid minute particles, have significantly contributed to the development of the polymer industry. Depending on their geometry and chemistry, additives provide polymers with better physical, thermal, electrical, mechanical, and dimensional properties. Glass bubbles are finely scattered, free-flowing fine particles with an average diameter of 15-65µm, and consists of thin-walled, sphere-shaped glass particles (0.5-1.5µm). They were first developed in the 1960s, as an extension after the production of solid glass beads. Glass bubbles are produced by melting a special glass formula which consists of a latent blowing agent which causes the melted glass particles to swell into a hollow bubble. The resulting glass bubbles are water-resistant, and compatible and chemically stable with various materials that are used for indirect food contact applications. In the recent years, material technology has evolved to manufacture bubbles with high strength to density ratio, thus enabling its usage in demanding polymer processing operations.

Glass bubbles provide design solutions for innovative users and new and elite materials. Moreover, they provide polymers with low-density that can be related directly to insulation properties and thermal conductivity. The three polymer types, viz., high impact polystyrene (HIPS), polyurethane (PU), and polypropylene are commonly used in applications such as housings, and walls or as foam for insulation, especially in the case of thermoset polyurethane (PU). PU foam for insulation are made with chemical blowing agents and are usually attained at very low density (0.20 – 0.40 g/cc). The PU composite density with glass bubbles is in the range of 0.76 – 0.95 g/cc; therefore, they are not compatible with urethane for attaining maximum insulation properties. However, rigid and structural properties of glass bubble foam gives an additional insulation value to walls and housings. Furthermore, glass bubbles deliver weight reduction for thermosets, thermoplastics, and elastomeric polymer substrates. This helps reducing shipping cost and also eases installation issues. The addition of glass bubbles to polymers changes its physical property. Adding glass to bubble polymers makes the composites stiffer as compared to its original unfilled base resin. This is useful in the manufacturing of strong yet light housings and parts.

The glass bubbles market can be segmented based on application and region. In terms of application, the market can be segmented into automotive and commercial vehicles, aircrafts, and recreational and marine vehicles. In terms of geography, the glass bubbles market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America dominated the global glass bubbles market in 2016, followed by Europe, and this trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast period. Moreover, rapid expansion of the automobile industry, especially in the U.S., is anticipated to boost the market during the forecast period. Furthermore, stringent emission control regulations in the U.S. and various other countries in the Europe is anticipated to fuel the demand for glass bubbles at a significant pace during the forecast period. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a considerable pace during the forecast period owing to the implementation of stringent government norms concerning volatile organic content (VOC) emissions from automobiles in countries such as China and India, while the market in Middle East & Africa and Latin America is likely to expand at a moderate pace during the forecast period.

Key players operating in the global glass bubbles market include 3M, Sinosteel Maanshan New Material Technology, and others.

FROM:Transparency Market Research

Hollow glass microspheres have great potential in building energy-saving and industrial insulation. Anatase TiO2-modified hollow glass microspheres were prepared by a sol‒gel method in acetic acid-ethanol solution.

Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, zeta-potential measurements, nitrogen-sorption measurements, and Fourier-transform infrared and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopies showed that the alkali modification of the hollow glass microsphere greatly influenced the loading and microstructure of the TiO2 film.

The TiO2 loading could be accurately controlled by ethanol addition and the TiO2 coating time. A mechanism for the TiO2 coating of the hollow glass microspheres surface is proposed. The synergistic action of hydrogen bonding and electrostatic forces resulted in close contact between the hollow glass microspheres and TiO2 sol at pH 3.5.

The effects of different TiO2 loading rates on the reflective and thermal insulation properties were studied. The near-infrared reflectance of 15.9% TiO2 coated on hollow glass microspheres was 96.27%, and the inner surface temperature of the composite pigment coated on aluminum board was reduced by 22.4 °C. The TiO2/hollow glass microsphere composite pigments exhibited excellent solar reflective and thermal insulation properties, so have potential in the construction of exterior walls and roofs.

Syntactic foams are complex compounds produced by the incorporation of hollow spherical particles into a polymeric or ceramic matrix. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) states that synthetic foams have a resin matrix.

The properties of synthetic foam can be largely determined by changing some parameters during their production such as the material of the matrix and fillers, the size of the microspheres, the thickness of their wall and their number – meaning mostly the ratio of their volume with the total volume of foam. The easiness of production is another important advantage of synthetic foams.

TYPES OF SYNTACTIC FOAMS
Epoxy synthetic foams are preferred as a matrix material due to their good mechanical properties such as durability and stiffness, small creep and moisture resistance.
Structural polyamide foams have very good mechanical and electrical properties and their use is great in electronic devices. They are usually combined with silicon spheres.
Structural polyurethane foams have good compressive strength and high water resistance. They can be soaked in a humid environment for over 10 years and at a water temperature of up to 40oC without significantly degrading their properties.
Polyester synthetic foams in combination with hollow glass microspheres have found great application in the construction of marine vessels and underwater structures due to their buoyancy, non-adsorption of moisture and their low cost.
Polypropylene is used with hollow glass spheres to have low density, good mechanical and thermal insulation properties.

SYNTACTIC FOAMS PROPERTIES
The main properties of synthetic foams that gave impetus to their production and growth include among others their reduced weight, increased rigidity, buoyancy and reduced cost. If we take into account their resistance to compression and hydrostatic loads, their relatively good response to impact and fatigue and their resistance to abrasion and chemicals, we understand why they have been widely applied in various types of constructions.

FROM:NANOVISION

Hollow Glass Microspheres is a Free Flowing White Powder and showed to be hollow sealed sphere under microscope. Application Hollow glass microspheres have a significant effect to reduce weight and noise insulation, make the products have good anti-cracking performance and re-processing performance, is widely used in glass, steel, artificial marble, artificial agate and other composite materials, and the oil industry, aerospace , new high-speed train, car ferry, insulation coatings and other fields.

Low density drilling fluids made with hollow glass microspheres:
1) Adjustable density in a wide range
2) Incompressible and uniform in density
3) Good lubricity, Reduce drilling tool wear
4) No pollution for reservoir
5) Good stability at high temperature and pressure
6) No loss of MWD signal
7) Mud cake quality improved

Low density cement slurries made with hollow glass microspheres:
1) Density can be decreased to as low as 0.90g/cm³
2) Low porosity
3) High compressive strength
4) Good stability at high temperature and pressure
5) Low fluid loss rate
6) Adjustable thickening time

FROM:chnchemical

Hollow Glass Microspheres‘ applications are in the fields of Thermal insulation coating, putty, plastic casting polyester, FRP ,SMC, synthetic foam, adhesives, printed circuit board substrate, RTM, bowling, fan blades, & caulking materials, emulsion explosives, golf, sealant, pipeline insulation materials, artificial marble, PVC foam, low density oil drilling, light cement, and other deep-sea buoy etc.

FROM:chnchemical

Hollow Glass Microspheres Y Series are hollow glass spheres designed for use in drilling, completion, and workover fluids, as well as cement slurries in the oil and gas industry. With density of 0.20~0.60 g/cc and crush strength of 2,000 ~12,000 psi (pounds per square inch), Y Series Hollow Glass Microspheres are well-suited for use in wells from various depths.
1)Successfully and predictably reduces the control fluid density
2)Prevents or minimizes fluid loss/lost circulation and formation damage
3)Incompressible and more homogeneous control fluid properties compared with foamed and aerated systems
4)Eliminates the need for specialized equipment used in foamed and aerated systems
5)Potential for improved production efficiency, enhanced well integrity and increased well productivity

Application
Hollow Glass Microspheres’ applications are in the fields of Thermal insulation coating, putty, plastic casting polyester, FRP ,SMC, synthetic foam, adhesives, printed circuit board substrate, RTM, bowling, fan blades, & caulking materials, emulsion explosives, golf, sealant, pipeline insulation materials, artificial marble, PVC foam, low density oil drilling, light cement, and other deep-sea buoy etc.

Hollow glass microspheres ( also known as glass bubbles ) are hollow glass spheres made of chemically stable Soda-lime-borosilicate glass with thin walls(wall thickness 1~3.5μm). We have several grades available with true density ranging from 0.20g/cc~0.60g/cc, Sinosteel hollow glass microspheres can be used as lightweight functional additives for Composites,Thermal insulation paints/coatings, Sealant/adhesives, Low density cementing slurries and many more applications with very competitive quality and price.

Sinosteel Maanshan New Material Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinosteel Maanshan Institute of Mining Research Co. Ltd., is a comprehensive high-tech company that specializes in research&development 、production and sales of high-performance Hollow Glass Microspheres.

Established in 1963, Sinosteel Maanshan Institute of Mining Research Co., Ltd (Hereafter, The Institute) used to be a key scientific research institute under the former Ministry of Metallurgical Industry. The Institute has been authorized to grant master’s degree (first-level discipline) by the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council since early times. The Institute, now as a national innovation-oriented company and a key high-tech company under the National Torch Program, is attached to Sinosteel Group Corporation Limited. The Institute has undertaken and completed a number of major national science and technology projects successfully, and won more than 680 awards of scientific and technological achievements at national or provincial levels by far.

Colored hollow glass microspheres add color to a product without the use of other colorants (pigments or dyes) and also offer functional benefits such as lower viscosity and improved flow. Solid polyethylene hollow glass microspheres can be manufactured in any color, including flesh tone, clear, grey, fluorescent, glow-in-the-dark and multicolor, which provides a multitude of options for color effects in a wide variety of products.

Hollow glass microspheres can be used to add saturated color, a hint of color or a sparkle to a formula. Colored hollow glass microspheres enable formulators to achieve saturated colors or desired color effects with much larger particles, which are not respirable and come in a free- flowing dry powder, ensuring a simpler formulation process. In addition, since larger hollow glass microspheres tend to not agglomerate as easily as submicron pigments, the challenge of pressed-powder agglomeration is greatly reduced.

Since creating an opaque hollow glass microsphere is almost impossible, colored polymer hollow glass microspheres are often preferred for applications requiring high color, opacity and superior coverage. However, hollow glass microspheres are preferable if maximum clarity of the sphere is desired, for example, for a soft-focus effect.

In science and technology applications color becomes one of the most important properties of hollow glass microspheres, especially when used as tracer particles that need to have high contrast and visibility in the system, such as in-vivo studies, process diagnostics and troubleshooting, contamination studies, flow visualization, and instrument calibration, to name a few applications.

This article comes from microspheres edit released

Glass bubble, made of Soda Lime Borosilicate Glass, are hollow spheres which grain size is 10-250microns, wall-thickness 1-2 microns, filled with inert air or gas.
glass bubble are produced at the high temperature of 700-800 degrees Celsius through complicated chemical and physical transformation. glass bubbles are white and the specific gravity of them is about 0.25-0.60g/cc.
Hollow glass microshpere have much merit, such as lightweight, great buoyancy, hard, rigid, waterproof, innoxious, insulative, low heat conductivity, higher mechanical strength and excellent chemical stability,etc. glass bubble surface was treated by the special way and the products are dispersed very easily in organic materials such as resin.

glass bubble are widely used in composite materials such as FRP, man made marble and man made agate. glass bubble can decrease the weight of the composite materials and the composite materials have excellent performance of sound insulation and heat preservation, and they can improve the mechanical performance of the composite materials such as strengthened rigidity, enhanced anti-impact property, excellent anti-breaking property and re-processing function.

Features of Lightweight Hollow Glass Microspheres for Paint Additives
– Light specific gravity and large volume
– High disperion and good fluidity
– Heat insulation, sound insulation
– Low rate of absorbing oil

Application of Lightweight Hollow Glass Microspheres for Paint Additives
PLASTICS: BMC, SMC, Injection Molding, Extruding, PVC flooring, Film, Nylon, High Density Polyethylene, Low Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene
CERAMICS: Refractory, Tile, Firebricks, Aluminum Cement, Insulating Materials, Coatings.
ROCK OIL: Oil well construction, Heat preservation of oil pies, Materials used again erosion
SPACE: Aerospace coatings, Aerospace composites
AUTOMOTIVE: Composites, Undercoating, Engine parts, Brake pads, Trim molding, Body fillers, Plastics, Sound proofing materials
CONSTRUCTION: Specialty cements, Mortars, Grouts, Stucco, Roofing materials, Acoustical panels.

FROM:chnchemical

Hollow glass polymeric or ceramic microspheres are used in coatings or composites and exhibit unusual mechanical and heat-insulation properties.In many countries, heat insulation by means of coatings is achieved by adding hollow or solid microspheres in acrylic-based coatings. Many coatings are developed with high absorbtivity in the visible regime and very low emissivity in the IR regime for architectural as well as industrial coatings.

Issues like stringent environmental regulations, customer requirements and competitive markets can be tackled with innovative raw material usage and developing new processes. There are many raw materials available that can be called ‘answers awaiting questions’; a good example being microspheres.

These specialty materials are used for many purposes in many diverse industries. Microspheres are innovative raw materials in the coatings industry, and are diverse because both solid and hollow formats are readily available. Solid spheres are most commonly used in reflective traffic paints where the microspheres are used as light reflectors. Hollow microspheres are small, spherical particles ranging in size from 12-300 microns in diameter, and wall thickness up to 0.1 micron. As these microspheres are hollow, the true density is very low, ranging from 0.60 g/cc to as low as 0.025 g/cc. Organic hollow microspheres are mostly composed of polystyrene, polyacrylonitrile or phenolic materials, while inorganic microspheres are glass, ceramic or made from fly ash from thermal power plants.

Glass Microspheres
Glass microspheres give high heat and chemical resistance with density ranges of 0.125 – 0.60 g/cc. The collapse strength depends directly on the wall thickness and density, thus the higher the density, the higher the strength.

Solid or hollow glass microspheres are used in various applications in the coatings industry. They are commonly used to improve the performance of epoxy primers, powder coatings, floor applications, aircraft paints and industrial coatings. Hollow spheres are used in thermal insulating coatings for construction and transportation applications, and also for acoustic insulation coatings.(4) Hollow glass microspheres with a density of 0.6 g/cc with a fine particle size distribution can be used in flat wall paint.

Plastic Microspheres
Thermoplastic microspheres are compressible hollow particles with thin shell walls having densities as low as 0.025 g/cc. As resilient plastic materials, these microspheres can deform under stress (during high shear mixing or pumping), and there is very low to no breakage. The compressible nature of plastic can absorb impact, reducing damage caused by stone chips, foot traffic or freeze-thaw cycles.

Use in Coatings
Uniform spherical-shaped microspheres have lower surface area then irregular fillers and extender pigments, which means a lower resin demand. Another benefit to the spherical shape is the ability to roll past one another, hence there is minimal impact on viscosity when they are added to a liquid. As coatings are manufactured on weight basis and sold on volume basis, microspheres are used to increase the solid content of a coating, maintaining application and flow properties. Higher-volume solids reduce VOCs, shrinkage and drying time.

Since hollow spheres lower the density of materials, they are added to coatings. If added in coatings, it will atomize better while spraying and it will give less spatter while rolling also sag less once applied. [4]

One of the most important applications microspheres have been developed for is the Space Shuttle program. When the space shuttle re-enters the earth’s atmosphere, incredible heat is generated due to increasing air friction. In order to prevent the space shuttle from burning up during re-entry, NASA scientists developed a superior insulating material using Ceramic technology. This technology can now be applied to roofs and sidewalls of buildings, piping, ducts, tanks, various storage devices, refrigerated containers, cold rooms, etc. in order to insulate them from the radiant heat of the sun and the atmosphere by using hollow ceramic spheres.

Stagnant air is a bad conductor of heat because heat is transferred by convection currents. Stagnant air inside hollow spheres acts as an insulator for heat and hence can be used as heat insulating material in coatings. This characteristic of hollow microspheres allows improved thermal and acoustic insulation properties of coatings or composites. Currently, markets taking advantage of this property include fire retardant materials, sensitive acoustic equipment, and roof coatings.

Applications of Hollow Microspheres
All Types of Roofs – Flat or Slopping, made of Concrete, Metal or Asbestos Cement,
Side Walls of Residential and Commercial Buildings, Hotels and Hospitals, Construction Office,
Roofs and Sidewalls at Process Control Rooms, Surveillance Towers, Manufacturing Plants and similar constructions and structures
Piping in Air Conditioning Systems, Steam Pipes, Thermo Fluid Pipes, Boilers
Exterior of Storage Tanks for Crude Oil, Chemicals, Solvents, Natural and Petroleum Gas, Storage Devices at Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries,
Grain Silos, Fishing Trawlers, Cold Storage, Refrigerated Trucks and Containers
Exterior Roofs of Public Transport Vehicles, Railway Passenger Coaches

Limitations
Large particle sizes of microspheres can result in surface texture, meaning gloss reduction. Today, however, fine size hollow glass microspheres are available for coatings requiring higher gloss and thin layer deposition . Microspheres have low density, which means the particles have the tendency to become airborne while being added to the batch. Also for the same reasons, floating or phase separation can occur in the finished mix.

Conclusion
Hollow micro spheres (especially glass microspheres) offer improved scrub and burnish properties, gloss, stain resistance, viscosity control, thermal insulation and sound-dampening characteristics. No other conventional additive can match the multiple performance benefits of hollow micro spheres. Their hollow structure, low density and small particle size make them ideal for use as extenders for paint formulations. With particle sizes considerably finer than previously available, hollow micro spheres can be used in thin-film coatings to improve integrity. In the case of glass microspheres, they do not absorb resin, allowing more resin to be available in film forming; the result being a tighter and more uniform film with improved durability . Opaque hollow-sphere polymeric pigments can be added to improve dry hide of coatings, which allows the paint manufacturer to reduce the level of TiO2 in coatings at no loss of performance.