Of the many fillers now available to composites manufacturers, hollow glass microspheres, also called microballoons, are the most versatile. To the naked eye, the small, hollow glass microspheres appear like fine powder. Ranging from 12 to 300 µm in diameter (by comparison, a human hair is approximately 75 µm in diameter), hollow glass microspheres pack a lot of functionality into a very small package.
Integrated into composite parts, they provide a variety of product enhancements and process improvements — including low density, improved dimensional stability, increased impact strength, smoother surface finish, greater thermal insulation, easier machinability, faster cycle times, and cost savings.
Composite manufacturers, already adept at making the most of their materials, regularly exploit these benefits — sometimes all at once.
This article comes from compositesworld edit released