Microscopic glass beads are the building blocks of all Viz Reflectives products. For the last twenty years Viz Reflectives has been supplying mbeads™ to global customers in the reflective paint’s, ink’s and coating’s industry. We pride ourselves in offering technical support and a quality service. No matter the size of the order, a certificate of analysis, certificate of compliance and full batch traceability are available for each one.
High index glass beads
Mbeads™ have a high specification of 98% roundness and an index of 1.93. The index refers to the beads refractive index, which is a measure of how well the bead bends light. When a beam of light hits a glass bead at a certain angle, the bead’s refraction concentrates the light onto a reflective layer behind the bead. The reflective layer then reflects the light back in the direction of the light source. mbeads™ are retro-reflective as they return the light back to the source. High index glass beads are made from virgin glass with a different chemical makeup than traffic paint beads.
Understanding the size of microscopic glass beads
Glass beads are measured in microns, with 1 micron being equal to 1,000th of a mm. You can compare the size of mbeads™ to other microscopic objects in the above chart.
The smallest mbeads™ Viz sells are between 30-40 micron size. This smaller size helps with packing density and flow rate. This size is more commonly used in aerosol sprays for this reason. The larger the bead the stronger the resulting reflectivity. As 40-50 micron beads have a larger reflective area they are therefore brighter. This size is commonly used in reflective inks, paints and coatings for safety or aesthetic reasons.
Coated or uncoated?
The other important difference is whether the mbeads™ are coated (metalised) or uncoated (clear). Coated beads are dark grey in colour and are much brighter than clear beads. The aluminium coating is on one side of the beads and acts similar to the lens in a cats eye. The disadvantage with coated beads is that the grey colour is very dominant and it is not possible to use them to produce a coloured reflective products. This type of beads are used in the production of EN 20471 retro-reflective tapes, such as VizLite. The uncoated or clear beads while offering lower levels of reflectivity can be used with colour additive’s to produce coloured reflective products such as reflective inks for sportswear and fashion.
If you have a need for microscopic glass beads and want a knowledgeable and well established supplier, come and talk to Viz Reflectives.
Find out more on mbeads™ here.
