S60HS GLASS BUBBLES

3M™ Glass Bubbles S60HS will change the way you think about plastic parts. This product has a density of 0.60 g/cc and an excellent isostatic crush strength of 18,000 psi, providing an additive with a superior strength-to-density ratio for use in injection molding extrusion and sheet molding compounds.
  • Product Type: Hollow Glass Bubble
  • Master Product Number: MITM00087
  • Product SKUs: ITM11496, ITM11511, ITM11660, ITM11664
  • CAS: 65997-17-3

Details

  • Reduce final part weight by 15% or more without compromising mechanical integrity of finished product
  • High strength-to-density ratio glass bubble survives high shear, high pressure processes like injection molding and extrusion
  • Faster cooling times of melt processed polymers (injection molding and extrusion), typically 15-25% cycle time improvement
  • Improved dimensional stability and reduced warpage and sink marks
  • Lightweighting helps create more environmentally sustainable products

Don't Wait, Reduce Part Weight 

From start to finish, 3M™ Glass Bubbles S60HS are about helping you reduce weight while improving the production process and the quality of finished parts. Toward that end, weight reduction of 15% or more can be achieved in injection molded parts. These substantial density reductions don't come at the expense of quality. In fact, parts maintain strength, surface aesthetics and mechanical integrity with the use of 3M glass bubbles S60HS. 

Improving Throughput 

Reduce cycle time by 15-25% or more without compromising critical mechanical properties of finished parts. The secret? Faster cooling. Typically, cooling takes up most of a mold cycle. By using glass bubbles to reduce thermal mass, parts cool faster from the melt and cycle times can be considerably shortened. Fillers like talc and calcium carbonate may cost less but can actually increase part weight. Cycle time improvements allow customers to make more parts per minute, per hour, per day and per year. 

Do More for Sustainability 

With almost 100 years of automotive experience, 3M understands the unique challenges you face as an OEM. That's why we're dedicated to innovating new lightweighting solutions, so you can provide only the best in vehicle design, manufacture, and repair — all while helping to improve fuel economy. 

Importantly, our 3M glass bubbles S60HS contribute to environmental sustainability. With a high strength-to-weight ratio, glass bubbles are ideal for lightweighting materials like plastics and composites. According to a single-site carbon footprint study conducted by 3M on one class of glass bubble popular for use in plastic part manufacturing, the addition of 3M™ Glass Bubbles to injection molded parts had a neutral impact on the carbon footprint of the finished part. Lightweighting has known advantages such as contributing toward improved fuel economy, easier handling of hand-held plastic parts and reduced shipping costs. 

Automotive Injection Molded Plastics 

3M glass bubbles S60HS can be used in many automotive injection molded parts. As a filler in a car's plastic components, glass bubbles help create parts that are up to 15% lighter, enabling designs that improve fuel economy. 

What are 3M™ Glass Bubbles? 

Our 3M glass bubbles are engineered hollow glass microspheres that are alternatives to conventional fillers and additives such as silica, calcium carbonate, talc and clay. These low-density particles are used in a wide range of industries for many demanding applications to reduce part weight, lower costs and enhance product properties. 

The spherical shape of 3M glass bubbles offers a number of important benefits, including: higher filler loading, lower viscosity/improved flow, and reduced shrinkage and warpage. Additionally, the spherical shape helps the glass bubbles readily blend into compounds, making them adaptable to a variety of production processes, including spraying, casting and molding. They also offer greater survivability under demanding processing conditions, such as extrusion, injection molding and other high shear mixing processes. 

The chemically stable soda-lime-borosilicate glass composition of 3M glass bubbles provides excellent water resistance. These bubbles are non-combustible and non-porous, so they do not absorb resin; and their low alkalinity gives 3M glass bubbles compatibility with most resins, stable viscosity and long shelf life. 

Typical Applications:

  • Injection molded parts
  • Sheet molding compound
  • Automotive
  • Recreational vehicles
  • Heavy-duty trucks
  • Extrusion profiles
  • Electronics
  • Rubber parts
  • Sporting goods
  • Construction material
  • Concrete

About 3M Advanced Materials

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