K46 GLASS BUBBLES

GLASS SPHERES WITH A TYPICAL DENSITY OF 0.46 G/CC AND AN ISOSTATIC CRUSH STRENGTH OF 6,000 PSI FOR GOOD STRENGTH-TO-DENSITY RATIO
  • Product Type: Hollow Glass Microsphere
  • Master Product Number: MITM00064
  • Product SKUs: ITM22767, ITM24553, ITM16656, ITM11124, ITM11471, ITM11517, ITM11533, ITM11726

Product Details

What are 3M™ Glass Bubbles? 

Our 3M™ Glass Bubbles K46 are engineered hollow glass spheres made from water-resistant and chemically-stable soda-lime borosilicate glass. Like all 3M™ Glass Bubbles, our K46 glass bubbles are water and oil resistant, making them suitable for use in a number of oil and gas applications. Additionally, they are non-combustible and non-porous, so they do not absorb resin; and their low alkalinity makes this product compatible with most resins while providing a stable viscosity and a long shelf life. 

These low-density hollow glass microspheres are used for many demanding applications across a wide range of industries to provide temperature and pressure resistance and to reduce part weight. For these reasons, 3M glass bubbles are a superior alternative to many conventional fillers and additives such as silica, calcium carbonate, talc and clay. 

Good Strength-to-Weight Ratio 

The benefits don't end there; 3M glass bubbles K46 (PDF, 82.47 Kb) have thin walls and a good isostatic crush strength of 6,000 psi, making them suitable for a number of buoyancy applications, including additives in buoys and moorings — as well as applications up to 10,000 ft. / 3,000 m. below sea level. At 6,000 psi, K46 bubbles have a targeted fractional survival rate of 90% for consistent performance and greater survivability.
  • Decreases weight and increases buoyancy to improve efficiency and may lower material costs
  • Decreases thermal conductivity in syntactic foam compositions
  • Provides excellent water and oil resistance for use in underwater applications
  • Good strength-to-density ratio for use in a variety of oil and gas applications, including in deep sea oil and gas projects (up to 10,000 ft. /3,000 m.)

Typical Applications

  • Paints and coatings
  • Rubber and plastic
  • Insulation and buoyancy
  • Thermal insulation
  • Wet pipe flowline insulation

 

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