Glass bubbles cut compound mass
A
RTP Company product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Jul 15, 2002
Custom compounder RTP Company has a range of specialty compounds containing hollow glass microspheres to reduce weight, enhance properties and lower costs in demanding applications.
Custom compounder RTP Company has a range of specialty compounds containing hollow glass microspheres to reduce part weight, enhance properties and lower part costs in demanding applications.
High loading of these microspheres, called Scotchlite glass bubbles manufactured by 3M, can be added to thermoplastics to reduce overall part weight, and thus per pound material costs.
Additionally, they can modify polymer characteristics, achieving: lower viscosity, improved flow, and reduced shrinkage and warpage.
For example, polypropylene compounds containing Scotchlite glass bubbles can have their specific gravity reduced by as much as 30%.
The use of glass bubbles also provides more uniform control and reproducibility than other methods typically used for weight reduction, such as foaming agents.
Noncombustible and nonporous, the glass bubbles do not absorb moisture.
They are able to produce stable voids, resulting in low thermal conductivity and low dielectric constants.
Compounds containing Scotchlite glass bubbles are available in most engineering resins and easily adapt to common processing methods, including injection moulding and extrusion.
Applications that use this weight-saving technology exist in the aerospace, automotive, marine, electronic, and medical industries.
(This was Engineeringtalk's Top Story on 12 July 2002).
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