What are glass microspheres?

　　All tiny, minute glass beads are known as glass microbeads. Simply put, glass microbeads have a particle size of 1,180 microns or less; with today’s technology, the smallest achievable size is as low as 5 microns. As a reflective material, glass microbeads are an essential component in the application of road marking paints and lines. On roads, glass microbeads are categorized into two types: internally mixed glass microbeads and surface-applied glass microbeads. Internally mixed glass microbeads are blended directly into hot-melt coatings, while surface-applied glass microbeads are sprinkled onto the surface of the marking paint. Standards for glass microbeads vary from country to country; taking China’s standards as an example:

　　Surface-applied glass microbead specifications: Internal-mixed glass microbead specifications:

　　Particle Size (um) Content (%) vs. Comparative Particle Size (um) Content (%)

　　≥850 0 ≥600 0

　　850-600 0-10 600-300 50-90

　　600-300 30-75 300-150 5-50

　　300-106 10-40 ≤150 0-5

　　≤106 0-5

　　As shown in the table, we can see that the particle size of glass microspheres ranges from 0.1 to 1 mm, giving us a clear and intuitive understanding of their size.

　　Finished Glass Bead Standard:

　　1. The appearance is clean and smooth, transparent and free of impurities.

　　2. Roundness rate ≥ 80%, as per customer requirements.

　　3. Impurities such as black spots, fragments of stone, and small sticks inside the glass beads must not exceed 1% of the total weight.

　　4. Magnetized glass beads and iron-containing impurities must be absent.

　　5. The content of porcelainized glass microspheres (with a white surface that is not very translucent) must not exceed 5% of the total quantity.

　　Glass bead production process:

　　Glass microspheres are primarily produced using glass microsphere firing furnaces and glass microsphere production equipment, employing the flame floatation method.

　　Characteristics of glass microbeads:

　　1. Higher strength, with a Mohs hardness of 6-7 on the Mohs scale.

　　2. Good stability and does not undergo any chemical reactions with other substances.

　　3. Moderate weight and good fluidity.

　　4. Low thermal conductivity and relatively high melting point.

　　5. Good electrical insulation.

　　Based on the characteristics listed above, the main uses of glass microbeads available on the market are:

　　1. The reflectivity of road marking paints and the reflectivity of traffic facilities (traffic cones, signposts, etc.);

　　2. As fillers, such as tiles, toys, hourglasses, and more.

　　3. As a coloring agent for colored glass microbeads.