What are Hollow Glass Microspheres Used For?

As the world deals with potential supply shortages, oil prices are soaring again, with more dramatic spikes and sudden drops expected.

For consumers, that means more expensive gas for longer - prices at the pump remain above $4 a gallon. For the economy, that means more inflation. In addition to the pressure on consumers, any business that relies on oil -- from airlines and truck drivers to chemical companies and plastics producers -- will face higher costs.

Mr Pickering estimates that 2m to 3m barrels a day of Russian oil shipped by water are frozen out of the market with no direct buyers. Due to the soaring oil price, the price of the hollow glass microsphere in the chemical industry will also be greatly affected. He said China and India are continuing to buy Russian crude. "I'm sure there will be others willing to take on more over time," he said. Mr Pickering said he did not expect oil to return to $130 a barrel, but added that it could happen. Francisco Branch, head of commodities and derivatives at Bank of America, said the US market was ready for cyclical price spikes and price swings in the hollow glass microsphere.

A hollow glass microsphere is a kind of hollow microsphere with a thin wall, high strength, and smooth surface, which is a new kind of micron-level light inorganic material developed in the 1950s and 1960s. It not only has the advantages of low density, high strength, low thermal conductivity, high wave penetration, and good stability, but also has insulation, self-lubrication, sound insulation, fire resistance, corrosion resistance, radiation, and other excellent properties that other non-metallic materials do not have.

Some byproducts of fly ash were found in the early years. Under the microscope, they were pearl-like hollow beads with diameters of 20~200μm and shell thickness ranging from 5% to 30% of the diameter. Its main components are SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, MgO, Na2O, and K2O. This sphere has a small specific gravity, high surface pressure, strong wear resistance, good flame retardant, and good acid resistance, high-temperature resistance, so it has been excavated out of the new function.

In the early stage of development, artificial hollow glass beads are mainly used in aerospace, national defense, and other cutting-edge applications due to their high cost.  Later, the United States and Japan took the lead in the development and mass production of hollow glass beads.

Now, hollow glass beads are widely used in aerospace, 5G communications, military marine, lightweight vehicles, energy-conservative building, oilfield cementing, rubber and plastic elastomers, and many other fields. Specifically,

In 5G communications, hollow glass beads can help improve the transmittance due to their hollow glass material with a low dielectric constant of 1.0~2.0. It can be used to make 5G base station and radome materials, 5G mobile phone frame and backplane, Internet of things equipment, etc.

In rubber, elastomer, and lightweight vehicles, hollow glass beads have a good role in reducing the specific gravity, rubber plastic, and other composite materials can reduce weight by 8%~10%. In addition, hollow glass beads can also effectively improve the processing performance of materials, increase rigidity and resilience, improve the material heat insulation, sound insulation, noise reduction, flame retardant, and a series of special functions, widely used in shoes, elastic pillows, car shell, special parts, and other products.

In the coating industry, the micron particle size of hollow glass beads and hollow microspheres effect give the paint a better heat insulation effect. Therefore, it could be used for military and aerospace equipment, oil pipeline, oil tank, communication base stations, large storage silos, etc.

As an anti-corrosion coating, the addition of hollow beads makes the product has more excellent anti-fouling, anti-corrosion, anti-ultraviolet, anti-yellowing, and anti-scratch effect, so it can be used for weatherproof sunscreen and heat insulation outdoor coatings, automotive coatings, anti-fouling coatings, anti-corrosion coatings, etc.

In the adhesive industry, the addition of hollow beads can reduce the density of the adhesive, reduce the volume cost, improve the rheological properties of the adhesive, improve the thixotropy and chemical corrosion resistance, and give the product better sound insulation, heat insulation, low thermal conductivity, and dielectric properties, more excellent anti-warping, anti-cracking properties. Hollow beads are widely used in silicone, epoxy resin, acrylic acid, polyurethane, synthetic rubber, and other adhesives. 

In addition, hollow glass beads are typically used in oilfield cementing, which has long been the most widely used field. The use of oil field cementing includes low-density drilling fluid and cementing cement. 

Low-density drilling fluids added with hollow glass beads are not only more chemically stable, but also have excellent fluidity and better lubrication, which can reduce friction during drilling, extend the service life of drill pipe and drill bit, and other equipment, but also greatly improve drilling speed and operational efficiency. Hollow glass beads are added in the cementing cement products of low density, high strength, easy flow features, is to address the low pressure, easy leakage well solid water mud loss one of the main ways of low return, can effectively control the water loss rate, prevent pollution, during 24h the compressive strength can reach more than 15Mpa, and it can improve cementing quality, prolong the life of the well.

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Chile's government has decided to create a state-owned lithium enterprise and hopes to establish a model for the company by the end of the year, Mining Minister Marcela Hernando said in an interview.  

Chile is the world's second largest lithium producer and has the largest reserves of lithium in the world. The domestic lithium industry is currently dominated by two private companies, Albemarle and SQM.  

Chile wants to participate more closely in the booming lithium market after leftist President Gabriel Boric took office in March. The accelerating electrification of the global auto industry has helped push prices of lithium, a key raw material for electric car batteries, to record highs over the past year, lapping up more players, including Mexico and Argentina, who want a piece of the market.  

According to Hernando, the government is setting up a task force to determine the best way to run state-owned lithium enterprises. She said the government hopes to establish plans by the end of the year for how the company will develop and what business model it will operate under. 

Hernando stressed that while the state would be a major shareholder in the proposed company, it was open to private investment.

Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology (TRUNNANO) is a global chemical material supplier providing high-quality chemicals and Nanomaterials including graphite powder, 3D printing powder, the hollow glass microsphere.

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