1.0 Classification

1.1.1 Classification by Material system

I. Glass microspheres derived from silica: These chemically inert microspheres, which are mostly made of silica, are frequently added to paints and coatings and utilized in environmental sensing and monitoring.
II. Borosilicate glass microspheres: These glass compositions have sufficient thermal stability, which qualifies them for high-temperature uses such thermal insulators and catalyst supports.
III. Glass microspheres with calcium phosphate: They belong to a distinct class of microspheres where phosphate and calcium ions make up the majority of their makeup. These microspheres’ biocompatibility, bioactivity, and diverse qualities make them highly interesting for a range of biomedical and materials science applications.

IV. Composite glass microspheres: Certain qualities, including electrical conductivity or magnetic responsiveness, can be improved by adding other elements, such as metals or polymers, to the glass matrix.

1.1.2 Classification by Enivrnmental Fields

I. Environmental Remediation: To enable safe disposal of hazardous waste items, glass microspheres are employed to encapsulate and immobilize them.
II. Water Treatment: By eliminating pollutants and particle debris, they are used as filter medium to improve the quality of water.
III. Energy Efficiency: HGMs are low-weight fillers that improve insulation and lower energy usage in construction materials.

1.1.3 Grouping based on Primary Performance Elements
I. Buoyancy: HGMs’ low density makes them perfect for uses where buoyancy is needed.
II. Mechanical strength: Glass microspheres’ innate strength enables them to endure adverse climatic conditions and be used as building materials and road enhancement materials.
III. Chemical inertness: Glass microspheres can be used in hydrogen storage since they are resistant to chemical deterioration and corrosion.

IV. Thermal stability: Borosilicate glass microspheres are suited for high- temperature applications because to their exceptional thermal resilience.

1.2 Types of Glass Microspheres

1.2.1 Solid Glass Microspheres
Higher pressures may be tolerated by thick, strong, and solid glass microspheres. They are constructed from many glass varieties, each with unique benefits, including lead, borosilicate, and soda-lime glass. Lead glass microspheres, for example, are frequently used due to their high refractive index, which is advantageous in applications requiring optical qualities. Solid glass microspheres are utilized in situations where strength and structural integrity are essential, such as in brachytherapy, a medical procedure where the microspheres can be radiolabeled and used to selectively irradiate malignancies.

1.2.2 Hollow Glass Microspheres
The superior thermal insulation qualities and low density of hollow glass microspheres define them. They are lightweight due to their hollow structure, which helps reduce the weight of composite materials. These microspheres are utilized to produce lightweight materials without sacrificing strength in a number of sectors, including aerospace, automotive, and construction.

There are several ways to make hollow glass microspheres, including using rice husk ash, which provides a sustainable substitute for making glass microspheres for uses like road marking. Additionally, they are employed in the creation of lightweight cementitious composites, which may have better thermal and mechanical insulation qualities. Furthermore, because of their bioactive qualities, hollow glass microspheres can be employed in biological applications like the fabrication of 3D bone tissue.

Reference:

1. J.-L. Hu, et al., Silica-based hybrid microspheres: synthesis, characterization and wastewater treatment, RSC Adv. 3 (48) (2013), 25620, https://doi.org/10.1039/ c3ra44111c.
2. M. Mahmoud, et al., Porous glass microspheres from alkali-activated fiber glass waste, Materials 15 (3) (2022) 1043, https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15031043.
3. K.M.Z. Hossain, et al., Porous calcium phosphate glass microspheres for orthobiologic applications, Acta Biomater. 72 (2018) 396–406, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.03.040
4. A. Vignali, et al., Lightweight poly(epsilon-caprolactone) composites with surface modified hollow glass microspheres for use in rotational molding: thermal, rheological and mechanical properties, Polymers 11 (4) (2019), https://doi.org/ 10.3390/polym11040624.
5. A. Belostozky, et al., Solidification of oil liquids by encapsulation within porous hollow silica microspheres of narrow size distribution for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, Mater. Sci. Eng., C 97 (2019) 760– 767, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.msec.2018.12.093.
6. S.A. Samad, et al., Upcycling glass waste into porous microspheres for wastewater treatment applications: efficacy of dye removal, Materials 15 (17) (2022), https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15175809.
7. F. Aslani, L. Wang, Development of strain-hardening lightweight engineered cementitious composites using hollow glass microspheres, Struct. Concr. 21 (2) (2019) 673–688, https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.201900096.
8. B. Zheng, et al., Buoyancy materials of aluminium borosilicate glass for high temperature resistance, Mater. Res. Innovat. 19 (sup4) (2015) S50–S53, https:// doi.org/10.1179/1432891715z.0000000001515.
9.  C. Feng, et al., The effects of hollow glass microsphere modification on the road performances and thermal performance of asphalt binder and mixture, Construct. Build. Mater. 220 (2019) 64–75, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. conbuildmat.2019.05.183
10. S. Dalai, V. Savithri, P. Sharma, Investigating the effect of cobalt loading on thermal conductivity and hydrogen storage capacity of hollow glass microspheres (HGMs), Mater. Today: Proc. 4 (11) (2017) 11608–11616, https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.matpr.2017.09.072.
11. G.C. Righini, Glassy microspheres for energy applications, Micromachines 9 (8) (2018), https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9080379.
12. Budov, V.V. (1991). Strength of different types of hollow glass microspheres. Strength of Materials, 23, 569-571.
13. Pase Neto, J., Teixeira, I., Armas, L.E., Valsecchi, C., & Menezes, J.W. (2023). Road Marking Glass Microspheres Fabricated from Rice Husk Ash. Materials Research.
14. Kabay, N., Kizilkanat, A.B., Akturk, B., & Kahraman, Y. (2020). Lightweight Cement-Based Composites Incorporating Hollow Glass Microspheres: Fresh and Hardened State Properties. Teknik Dergi.

Monodisperse microspheres refer to microspheres that have the same composition and shape and relatively uniform particle size.

In recent years, what has attracted more research interest is the use of monodisperse silica spherical particles as raw materials for self-assembly to prepare photonic crystals. The material made of photonic crystal has the characteristics of prohibiting the passage of light waves in a certain frequency band, which is the basis for the preparation of optoelectronic devices with greater integration and faster speed. The preparation of submicron spherical silica particles is the prerequisite for the assembly of three-dimensional photonic crystals.

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Glass beads can be divided into various types of machinery application types, precision machinery application types, decoration types, and so on. When glass beads are used in high-precision machinery, they are generally used to remove dirt and rust inside the machine by using glass beads. In this way, it is possible to clean the interior of the machine without damaging the internal structure of the machine.

Reflective glass beads are a type of glass beads closely related to people’s daily lives. Reflective glass beads are mainly used in road marking. Reflective glass microbeads are used in combination with paint, which allows passersby to clearly distinguish the location of the crossed lines at all angles, which brings more safety and convenience for people to travel. Decorative glass beads are a type of colored jewelry processed by using the characteristics of glass beads, some of which are used in artificial agate, and some are used in colored glass beads and decorative glass beads.

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The organic combination of reflective glass beads and marking paint on road markings makes the lights on the marking line with glass beads when the car is driving at night, which can make the light of the lights reflect back in parallel, make the driver see the direction and improve the safety of driving at night.

The surface of marking glass beads is colorless and transparent, free of obvious bubbles and impurities, spherical, with good fluidity, easy to operate, reasonable particle size distribution, suitable for various pavement construction. After coating, the glass bead can be better coupled with the coating, and can also be moisture-proof and light proof. It is suitable for use in rainy, foggy and humid areas.

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3M has recently introduced new glass microsphere technology that can reduce the density and weight of plastic products to reduce the weight of plastic parts, improve the dimensional stability of plastic parts, and reduce shrinkage and warpage. This technology has now landed in China.

3M glass microspheres are a low density additive with an average particle size of 16 to 70 microns and a density ranging from 0.15g / ml to 0.6g / ml. Glass microspheres are made of chemically stable borosilicate glass, which is insoluble in water and has a high strength-to-weight ratio. Compared with ordinary mineral fillers, 3M glass microspheres can improve the fluidity of the polymer, can be molded at a lower temperature and injection pressure, and can reduce the molding time and improve production efficiency. This material has good compatibility with common thermoplastics such as PP, nylon, and ABS.

Our company-Nanjing Liwei Chemical Co., LTD has been engaged in the production and export of glass microsphere products for many years, and has accumulated rich experience in foreign trade. The quality of our products is constantly improved with the continuous introduction of new technologies and new equipment. Customers are welcome to visit our company, negotiate and cooperate.

Glass beads for roads are mainly used in normal temperature and hot melt road marking paints. There are two types of pre-mixing and surface spraying. Pre-mixed glass beads can be mixed in the coating when producing hot-melt road coatings, which can ensure the long-term reflection of road markings within the life span. Another type can be spread on the surface of the marking line during the construction of the road marking to have an instant reflection effect.

The surface-treated coated glass microbeads are used in road marking construction, which can greatly improve the adhesion between glass microbeads and hot-melt marking lines and enhance the refractive index of road markings. And it has self-cleaning, anti-fouling and moisture-proof functions. Glass beads for roads are used to improve the reversal performance of pavement coatings and improve the safety of drivers at night.

Our company-Nanjing Liwei Chemical Co., LTD specializes in the production of glass microspheres for various purposes, including glass microspheres for road markings, colored glass microspheres and so on. Our products are specially exported to overseas markets, and we have accumulated many loyal customers over the years. We look forward to working with more customers from all over the world to jointly develop better products.