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3M™ Glass Bubbles for Buoyancy


As the search for oil and gas moves farther offshore, there is an increasing need for materials that can survive and perform in extreme subsea environments. 3M™ Glass Bubbles have proven their reliability in adverse conditions, for applications such as reducing weight and increasing uplift of buoyancy modules and for enhancing thermal insulation properties in risers and pipelines.

3M™ Glass Bubbles for Buoyancy

3M™ Glass Bubbles have pressure ratings ranging from 250 psi to 27,000 psi and average true densities ranging from 0.125 g/cc to 0.60 g/cc. When incorporated into syntactic foams, they can be used in buoyancy modules, buoys, moorings, or undersea vehicles. In addition, unlike some competing products, these hollow glass microspheres are virtually insoluble in water…providing better utility in underwater applications.

Choose the grade of 3M glass bubbles that is right for your application.

(Oriented by Strength)

  3M™ Glass Bubble Bubble Crush Strength (psi) Bubble Density (g/cc) Calculated Thermal Conductivity* (W•m-1•K-1)
S42XHS 8000 0.42 0.166
XLD6000 6000 0.30 0.143
K46 6000 0.46 0.173
S38XHS 5500 0.38 0.158
S38HS 5500 0.38 0.158
S38 4000 0.38 0.158
XLD3000 3000 0.23 0.130
S35 3000 0.35 0.152
S32 2000 0.32 0.147
 

*Calculated Thermal Conductivity of Glass Syntactic Polyurethane (GSPU) Foam at 40 Volume % Loading, assuming a thermal conductivity of 0.19 W•m-1•K-1 for unfilled polyurethane.

Bubble selection for buoyancy applications will also depend on the strength of the resin/bubble composite. This will vary with resin type and formulation. Contact Us for more information.