3M Glass Bubblesfor Design & Construction

Lighten your workload.

3M™ Glass Bubbles make spackling, engineered wood and other building materials lighter weight and easier to work with.

Lighter, more flexibile advanced material solutions from 3M.

3M™ Glass Bubbles as an additive
Used as density-reducing additives, these hollow glass microspheres help create building materials that are versatile, lightweight and easy to work with. Their low density enables higher filler loading, as well as a lower cost per volume compared to many conventional fillers. Because of their spherical shape, 3M™ glass bubbles behave like tiny ball bearings, easily rolling over one another. This can help improve the flow of many materials to which they are added. 3M glass bubbles can also help improve sandability and reduce shrinkage and warpage in spackling compounds, wood composites and other materials – helping reduce rework.

3M glass bubbles are engineered to withstand the high temperatures and stresses of processing conditions such as liquid phase polymer processing, high-viscosity melt compounding and high-pressure injection molding. Potential applications include:

Low-shrink spackling, putties, caulks and sealants

Potting compounds

Machinable, sandable compounds

Cultured marble

Preformed concrete

Extruded profiles for window and door trim

Architectural base coves

Molded décor

Engineered wood

Lightweight hand-held tools

In addition, 3M glass bubbles can be formulated into a variety of paints and specialty coatings, including solar reflective roof coatings.
Engineered wood created with 3M™ Glass Bubbles
3M glass bubbles can be used to create polymer/wood composites that behave more like natural wood. By providing greater void volume, 3M glass bubbles make it easier for nails and screws to penetrate the typically dense polymer. The low thermal conductivity of 3M glass bubbles can also enable composites that retain the warm feel of natural wood.

Superior machinability and sandability

Easier nail and screw acceptance

Retains strong corners and edges

Ideal for decking, outdoor furniture and more

Download our technical paper to learn more:
Processing Behavior, Morphology and Benefits of Using Low Density Hollow Glass Microspheres in Polymer Wood Composites (PDF, 923 KB)

Support

3M glass bubbles are supported by our global sales, technical and customer service resources. Contact us for more information, including formulation assistance or questions about a specific application.

Call 800-367-8905 (7:30 AM - 5:00 PM Central)

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3M™ Glass Bubbles are intended for industrial applications and manufactured to industrial specifications in conformance with various recognized industrial quality standards. These products are not intended, designed, manufactured or labeled for sale to or use by consumers, or for medical device, food/food supplement/food additive, drug, or cosmetics applications. 3M Advanced Materials Division (3M) will assess the intended use of 3M™ Glass Bubbles and reserves the right not to sample, sell or supply if 3M determines that it is not in a position to support the intended use of 3M™ Glass Bubbles.

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Resources for Design & Construction Advanced Materials

Handling Information
- 3M™ Glass Bubbles Bag Unloading Suggestions
  
  Download (PDF, 298 KB)
- 3M™ Glass Bubbles Metering and Mixing Guide
  
  Download (PDF, 215 KB)
- 3M™ Glass Bubbles Box Unloading Instructions
  
  Download (PDF, 359 KB)
Technical Papers
- Glass Bubble Survival During Twin Screw Compounding
  
  Download (PDF, 945 KB)
- “Plug-N-Play” Weight Reduction Solution by Hollow Glass Microspheres
  
  Download (PDF, 1.5 MB)
- Benefits & Processing Behavior of Glass Bubbles in Polymer Wood Composites
  
  Download (PDF, 923 KB)