Hollow glass microspheres made of glass, polymer, or crystal material have been largely used in many application areas, extending from paints to lubricants, to cosmetics, biomedicine, optics and photonics, just to mention a few.
Here the focus is on the applications of hollow glass microspheres in the field of energy, namely covering issues related to their use in solar cells, in hydrogen storage, in nuclear fusion, but also as high-temperature insulators or proppants for shale oil and gas recovery.
An overview is provided of the fabrication techniques of bulk and hollow glass microspheres, as well as of the excellent results made possible by the peculiar properties of hollow glass microspheres. Considerations about their commercial relevance are also added.