3M

Glass Bubbles
For Resin Systems
High-strength additives
for reduced part weight,
improved dimensional stability,
improved processing
Injection molding image courtesy of AP Plasman.
High
Strength
Density
Low
3M

Glass Bubbles for Resin Systems

3M

Glass Bubbles are high-strength, low-density additives made from a water resistant and
chemically-stable soda-lime-borosilicate glass. They are used in a variety of applications including
thermoplastics, sheet/bulk-molded composites, structural foams and elastomers to
reduce weight, improve dimensional stability, improve processing, enhance surface
appearance, reduce overall material costs and more.
These hollow glass microspheres offer a variety of advantages over irregularly-shaped
mineral llers and glass ber. They create a ball-bearing effect that can result in
higher ller loading without the degree of ow issues encountered by other llers.
For example, glass bubbles spherical shape does not increase resin viscosity as much as other
llers when compared on an equal volume percent basis. 3M glass bubbles can also reduce
warpage and differential shrinkage and improve dimensional stability, while reducing overall system
costs. And their low density can be a signicant factor in helping meet weight reduction targets.
3M glass bubbles are available in a broad range of sizes, densities and crush strengths, to help you
achieve the ideal balance of properties for your application. And they can be optimized for use in
existing formulations. This brochure highlights our range of 3M high-strength glass bubbles, capable
of surviving high-shear and pressure processes to enable a new generation of lighter, stronger
plastic and elastomer products.
The chart below shows properties of 3M glass bubbles commonly used in resin system applications.
Engineered
Add Value
The spherical shape and
low density of 3M glass
bubbles increases volume
loading capacity, compared
to irregularly shaped llers.
This can mean reduced
shrinkage, isotropic
physical properties and
signicant weight reduction
in certain applications.
to
2
Product
Target
Crush
Strength
(90% survival, psi)
True
Density
(g/cc)
Particle Size
(microns, by volume)
Distribution
Effective
top size
(>=95%) 10th% 50th% 90th%
K37 3,000 0.37 20 45 80 85
S38 4,000 0.38 15 40 75 85
S38HS 5,500 0.38 15 40 75 85
K42HS 7,500 0.42 11 22 37 42
S60 10,000 0.60 15 30 55 65
S60HS 18,000 0.60 11 30 50 60
iM30K 28,000 0.60 9 16 25 29
www.3M.com/microspheres
30
22
3M

Glass Bubbles Strength/Density/Size Map

65 70
60
35
40
40
40
16
30
-2000
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
20000
22000
24000
26000
28000
30000
32000
34000
0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70
Density (g/cc)
C
o
l
l
a
p
s
e

S
t
r
e
n
g
t
h

(
p
s
i
)
3M

Glass Bubbles
for Resin Systems
Conventional glass bubble
development (trend shows
incremental advances)
Size of circle represents
relative diameter of
glass bubbles
iM30K iM30K
S60HS S60HS
K42HS K42HS
K37 K37
High-strength glass bubble
development (trend shows
quantum leap advances)
55
40
40
35
45
The following chart represents the 3M

Glass Bubble product portfolio, arranged by their relative

strengths and densities.
Following their initial development in the 1970s, improvements in glass bubble crush strength
tended to be incremental (as shown by the black trend line), and were accompanied by
corresponding increases in density.
In recent years, however, growing customer interest in glass bubbles as llers for engineered
thermoplastics has led to rapid advances in the technology (shown by the blue trend line). Today,
we are able to increase glass bubble strength many times, without corresponding increases in
density or bubble size.
3
3M glass bubbles can be used in
thermoplastics to replace metal parts
in many demanding applications
helping to reduce weight and avoid
corrosion concerns.
3M

Glass Bubbles for Resin Systems

Unlike irregularly-shaped llers, 3M glass
bubbles roll easily over one another. This
helps increase volume loading capacity,
reduce shrinkage, and lower resin
demand. It can also help reduce warpage
in many molded plastic parts.
Users of 3M

Glass Bubbles are reporting signicant process and product improvements, including:
Reduced part density signicant reduction in some compounds
Improved dimensional stability helps you meet tight tolerances
Improved throughput for lower injection pressures and faster cooling
Increased ller loading for reduced resin demand, lower costs
Excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties
Resistant to water, chemicals, UV radiation
Dimensional Stability
A leading resin compounder has found that the
addition of 3M glass bubbles not only reduces the
density of thermoplastic olen parts, but also helps
improve part stiffness and dimensional stability,
while reducing shrinkage.
Cost Reduction
By using 3M glass bubble-lled polypropylene in
place of talc-lled PC/ABS, a Korean automotive
OEM reports a 50% cost reduction in producing
nished core parts for instrument panels, as well
as 16.8% less weight, use of original tooling and
improved material ow.
Class A Surface Finish
Because of their small size (16 micron average),
3M glass bubbles iM30K added to sheet molding
compounds (SMC) are enabling a Midwest auto
parts supplier to meet OEM Class A surface quality
standards, while achieving signicant density
reduction targets. Unlike larger bubbles, which tend
to leave surface voids when sanded, the iM30K
bubbles produce a surface nish that can be sanded
smooth, without visual defects.
Weight Reduction
A U.S.-based plastics molder has achieved weight
reductions of up to 32% in sheet molded compounds
for automotive and non-automotive panels without
compromising product quality. By using 3M glass
bubbles in the resin matrix, this molder also reported
excellent performance compared to alternative llers
such as carbon ber, organic llers, nano-particles,
and nanometer particles.
Reduced Production Time
A U.S.-based developer of injection molding
compounds indicates that the use of 3M glass
bubbles can cut cycle times as much as 20%,
primarily because the reduced mass results in
faster cooling.
Customer-proven
Performance
4
Injection molding image courtesy of AP Plasman.
www.3M.com/microspheres
4
Customer-pleasing
Because of their unique ability
to reduce density, increase ller
loading, improve dimensional
stability and other useful properties,
3M

Glass Bubbles are nding

utility in a growing number of
plastics and rubber applications.
To learn how 3M glass bubbles
could help improve your products
performance, contact your 3M
representative.
Possibilities
5
Transportation
Recreation
Furniture
Construction
Electronics
3M

Glass Bubbles for Resin Systems

3M offers a family of high-strength/low density glass bubbles that can withstand the rigors
of compounding and injection molding. They offer excellent survivability at the high pressures
encountered in typical plastics processing operations up to 28,000 psi for 3M

Glass Bubbles
iM30k with a true density of only 0.60 g/cc at a particle size of 16 microns.
This high strength-to-weight ratio allows their use in many of the most demanding
injection molding and extrusion processes, and provides for consistent and effective
density modication. Compared to conventional llers, 3M glass bubbles give you
the design exibility to create lighter, more uniform parts from ABS, acetal, nylon
and other engineered thermoplastics.
In addition, thermoplastics lled with 3M glass bubbles demonstrate less thermal expansion
warpage and differential shrinkage, while improving dimensional stability.
Because of their ability to signicantly reduce resin use, combined with helping to decrease cycle
times, cut down on scrap, and reduce machining, 3M high-strength glass bubbles are helping
processors reduce their overall part costs while helping increase throughput and productivity.
*All data, with the exception of elongation, have been normalized for the base virgin resin to equal 100%.
33% GF
67% Nylon
31% GF
64% Nylon
30% GF
60% Nylon
28% GF
57% Nylon
26% GF
53% Nylon
Wt% Glass Bubbles Loading
P
a
r
t

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
g
/
c
c
)
%

W
e
i
g
h
t

R
e
d
u
c
t
i
o
n
1.40
1.36
1.32
1.28
1.24
1.20
1.16
0 5 10 15 20
33/67 Glass Fiber-Nylon 66 System
3M

Glass Bubbles S60HS/iM30K

Surface treated S60HS/surface treated iM30K
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Effect of Surface Treatment on Mechanical Properties
Effect of 3M

Glass Bubbles on Weight Reduction

3M

Glass Bubbles iM30K

Withstands molding and extrusion
pressures up to 28,000 psi
3M Glass Bubbles iM30K designed to
reduce density and improve the modulus and
dimensional stability of thermoplastics are
derived from a breakthrough technology that
delivers an order of magnitude increase in
strength and survivability over conventional
glass bubbles. They can also enable a number
of important process improvements, including
increased throughput and reduced wear on
tooling and secondary operations.
With a true density of only 0.60 g/cc at a
particle size of 16 microns, 3M glass bubbles
iM30K give you the design exibility to create
lighter, more uniform parts from ABS, acetal,
nylon and other engineered thermoplastics.
Our strongest glass bubble yet!
Notched Izod
(ft lb/inch)
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Tensile Strength
(Mpa)
Flex Strength
(Mpa)
Elongation
(%)
Tensile Modulus
(Mpa)
Flex Modulus
(Mpa)
450%*
100% Nylon 66 20% S60HS 20% Silane Treated S60HS 20% iM30K 20% Silane Treated iM30K
6
Applications for
Thermoplastics
www.3M.com/microspheres
3M

Glass Bubbles are a high performance alternative to conventional llers in the

production of sheet molding compounds (SMC), bulk molding compounds (BMC)
and other thermoset plastics.
For over 25 years, 3M glass bubbles have proven their ability to reduce the density of
parts such as doors, fenders, acoustic covers and sunroof shades, while maintaining
a desirable balance of physical properties.
A new way of calculating SMC formulations
Traditionally, most SMC formulations specify the proportions of their ingredients as weight
fractions, or parts per hundred of resin. This can present problems when replacing calcium
carbonate with lightweight, high-performance llers such as 3M glass microspheres.
A pound of 3M glass microspheres,* for instance, takes up almost 7 times as much space as a
pound of calcium carbonate. If you were simply to substitute an equal weight of glass bubbles
for the calcium carbonate in a formulation, the volume ratio of all other ingredients would be
reduced substantially.
Formulating by volume fraction instead of weight allows the proper
balance of resin, ller and reinforcement, so parts can be made lighter
while still maintaining an acceptable balance of physical properties.
* At a true density of 0.37 g/cc
10
lbs
7
lbs
Part cost:
$0.70/lb. SMC
10 lb./part
$7.00/part
Part cost:
$1.00/lb. SMC
7 lb./part
$7.00/part
Headlight assembly
made with standard
SMC formulation.
Lightweight 3M glass bubbles
(shown in the ask at right)
occupy more space than
an equal weight of typical
mineral ller (shown at left).
When you consider cost per unit volume
instead of cost per pound 3M glass
bubbles can be the cost-effective choice
in many applications.
Headlight assembly
made with 3M glass
bubbles.
7
Example
Applications for
Thermosets
3M

Glass Bubbles for Resin Systems

3M is a trademark of 3M. Used under license
by 3M subsidiaries and afliates.
3
Please recycle. Printed in USA.
3M 2012. All rights reserved.
Issued: 1/12 8424HB
98-0212-4172-8 A
Energy and Advanced
Materials Division
3M Center, Building 223-6S-04
St. Paul, MN 55144-1000
www.3M.com/microspheres
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