EXPANCEL® microspheres are used in a wide variety of commercial applications as a lightweight filler. The microspheres can be added either in an expanded form, alone or in combination with other fillers, or as unexpanded microspheres.

Some examples:
In polyester putties EXPANCEL® microspheres are used as the only filler or in combination with other fillers. An addition of 1% by weight of microspheres reduces the density of the putty from approximately 1.8 kg/l to 1.1 kg/l. The porosity of a putty containing microspheres is extremely low, resulting in no water penetration of a surface filled with such a putty.

Adding only 0.5% by weight of microspheres to paints reduces the weight of a 12-liter paint pot from 18 to 14 kg.

Expanded microspheres are also combined with polyurethanes in cast polymers, coatings and sealants to reduce density, while at the same time improving shock, vibration and sound absorption properties.

In the cable industry expanded EXPANCEL® microspheres are used as a low-weight additive to liquid petrolatum used to fill up the voids between the conductors in the cable, thus giving a high resistance to water penetration in an axial direction.

EXPANCEL® microspheres are also used in the production of civil explosives to increase sensitivity.