The characteristics of high-performance hollow glass microspheres

High performance hollow glass microbeads are a type of hollow, micron sized, spherical, powder like, ultra lightweight inorganic non-metallic material. Due to their excellent performance, they are known as "excellent composite materials", "space materials of the new era", and "magic powder". They are the mainstream variety of advanced composite materials in the 21st century and a new type of functional industrial filler widely used worldwide, especially in developed countries in recent years. They have many unique characteristics such as light weight, high strength, thermal insulation, good fluidity, and corrosion resistance.

It is a special material necessary for manufacturing large aircraft and other aerospace spacecraft, a universal basic material in the marine field, an indispensable core material in the military industry, and a density regulating material with good compressive performance in oil and gas field exploitation. It is a special functional filler material for many industries such as construction, electronics, chemical industry, automotive, plastics, paint coatings, sports goods, fiberglass, wood substitutes, artificial marble, etc. It has broad market application prospects and excellent product application effects.

The characteristics of hollow glass microbeads:

1. Excellent thermal insulation effect

The tightly arranged hollow glass microspheres contain thin gas inside, and their thermal conductivity is low, so the coating has a very good thermal insulation effect, which has been widely used in insulation coatings

2. Efficient filling properties

The small spherical particles determine their very small specific surface area and low oil absorption rate, which can greatly reduce the amount of resin used and the use of other production components in coatings.

3. Excellent environmental performance

Under the premise of high filling amount, the viscosity of the coating does not increase significantly, so the use of solvents can be reduced, which can reduce the emission of toxic gases during the use of the coating and effectively reduce the VOC index.

4. Less frictional force

Hollow glass microbeads are spherical particles that act as bearings, have low friction, and can enhance the flow and application performance of coatings, making construction more convenient.

5. Good chemical resistance

The coating has better waterproof, anti fouling, and anti-corrosion properties. A chemically inert surface can provide resistance to chemical corrosion.

6. Thermal conductivity characteristics of sexual intercourse

The thermal conductivity of hollow glass microspheres is low, resulting in a high thermal resistance and low thermal conductivity of the coating itself.

Application types of hollow glass microbeads:

1. Architectural coatings

Advantages: It has a thermal insulation effect on buildings, increases the service life of coatings, improves the effect, plays a certain filling role, and reduces VOC. On the premise of ensuring the original quality, the amount of other components used in the coating can be reduced. At the same time, the coating has a thermal insulation effect, enhances the elasticity of the coating, as well as anti fouling, anti-corrosion, UV protection, anti yellowing, and anti scratch effects. The cost is lower than that of general insulation materials, which greatly improves the comprehensive performance of the coating.

2. Industrial coatings

Advantages: It provides good protection for the surface of pipelines and insulation tanks, providing thermal insulation in summer and winter.

3. Polyester furniture

Polyester furniture is another application area of hollow glass microbeads, mainly to reduce their density. For example, it can make the density of the mixture reach 0.9g/cm3, while using perlite is 1.09g/cm3 and using calcium carbonate is 1.46g/cm3. At the same time, it also improves processing performance such as sanding and polishing, saving about 50% of working hours. As the proportion of hollow glass microspheres increases, their stiffness also significantly improves.

4. FRP spraying process

The resin system containing hollow glass microspheres can be sprayed using airless spraying equipment, and in addition, glass fiber short cut felt, cloth, and other fabrics can be used to manufacture laminated boards for ships.

Choose the corresponding type of hollow glass microspheres according to the different pressures within the system. A typical formula is that the volume content of hollow glass microspheres is 22%, with a corresponding weight content of about 5%. Mixing equipment with lower shear force can effectively disperse it into the resin.

5. SMC and BMC products

Adding hollow glass microspheres to SMC and BMC can reduce the weight of their molded products by 25% to 35%. The density has decreased from 1.7g/cm3 to 1.9g/cm3 to 1.2g/cm3 to 1.4g/cm3, and the dielectric performance has also been greatly improved. Choosing the appropriate formula can produce insulation boards that meet specific requirements. A typical application example is the ability to manufacture lighter automotive and building components.

6. Fiberglass winding and extrusion process

The application of hollow glass microspheres in fiber winding and extrusion processes can reduce costs, lower the density of composite materials, and improve the impact strength and mechanical processing performance of composite materials. The use of hollow glass microspheres in the extrusion process can reduce the amount of resin and fiberglass used. Adding 8% hollow glass microspheres can reduce the amount of fiberglass used by more than 15%. In addition to reducing weight, it can also improve the physical, dielectric, and insulation properties of the product. In addition, another advantage is that it can act as a lubricant in the resin system, which can increase the extrusion speed by 25% to 70%.

7. Other resin systems

In addition to being added to polyester, hollow glass beads can also be added to epoxy resin to make synthetic foam plastic blocks. The epoxy/glass bead synthetic foam has been successfully applied to the rudder in the United States. The foam plastic block is used as the core material of the rudder and the surface layer is glass fiber reinforced plastic. Compared with polyester, epoxy can significantly increase its strength while reducing weight. The data measured in the laboratory shows that the ship rudder made of this material can withstand a bending load of up to 2500kg, which is three times the strength of the engineering plastic ABS. In Germany, foam plastic blocks composed of polyimide resin and hollow glass beads are also used to make rudder, which is used on a 12.5m long, 55kg sailboat. Rigid polyimide foam blocks have been successfully used in structural materials. This structure can improve its compression, bending strength and modulus, and dimensional stability at high temperature.

Usage suggestions:

The general addition amount is 10-20% of the total weight.

Suggest adding the following method: add at the end of the process step.

1. Add hollow glass microspheres at the end and disperse them using a low-speed, low shear mixing equipment. Because the microspheres have good spherical fluidity and low friction between them, they are easily dispersed and can be completely wetted in a short period of time. Simply extend the mixing time to achieve uniform dispersion.

2. Hollow glass microspheres are chemically inert and harmless, but due to their lightweight, special attention should be paid when adding them.

3. We suggest adopting a step-by-step addition method, which means adding 1/2 of the remaining microspheres each time and gradually adding them. This can effectively prevent the microspheres from floating in the air and making the dispersion more complete.

Why use thermal insulation coatings?

1. Thermal insulation coatings have broad social benefits for energy-saving renovation of existing residential buildings.

In summer, it can block more than 89% of solar radiation and alleviate the absorption of most solar heat. In winter, it can reflect more than 85% of indoor infrared heat, ensuring that indoor heat is not easily lost. Therefore, there is no need to keep the air conditioning on for a long time, and it can also maintain a suitable indoor temperature, keeping the room warm in winter and cool in summer.

2. Research has shown that every 1 ℃ increase in air conditioning can save 8-10% of electricity and energy. Using water-based reflective insulation coatings can easily achieve a temperature difference of 3-6 ℃ between indoor and outdoor, saving more than 30% of energy. Due to the characteristics of insulation coatings, the sunlight on the surface of buildings is reflected into the atmosphere, making the surface of buildings not absorb heat energy, which is of great significance for reducing the urban heat island effect.