Hollow glass microspheres, also known as glass bubbles, are majorly used as alternatives to additives and conventional fillers such as calcium carbonate, silica, clay, and talc. The growing demand for materials with excellent structural properties is expected to drive this market.
The demand for these materials can be attributed to their inherent properties such as gloss, scrub, and burnish properties, viscosity control, stain resistance, sound dampening, and thermal insulation. The major factors impacting the hollow glass microspheres market are superior structural properties, recyclability, reusability, growing demand from current applications, increased demand for efficiency, and modernization of infrastructure.
Hollow glass microspheres find their applications in automotive, aerospace & defence, building & construction, paints & coatings, electrical & electronics, cosmetics & personal care, and healthcare. The demand for enhanced structural properties in automobile parts can drive the market growth of hollow glass microspheres in the automotive market. Innovation in the aerospace & defence sector is responsible for using hollow glass microspheres in aircraft design and defence equipment. Healthcare is the dominant application segment as it extensively uses hollow glass microspheres for encapsulation and surgical purposes. High-quality glass microspheres are used in automotive mirrors, microscopy, electronic equipment, gas plasma displays, and flip chip technology. The major restraints in the market are fluctuating prices of raw materials, high research and development costs, and dispensing of hollow glass microspheres.