Expandable thermoplastic microspheres are microscopic spheres comprising a thermoplastic shell encapsulating a low boiling point liquid hydrocarbon. When heated to a temperature high enough to soften the thermoplastic shell, the increasing pressure of the hydrocarbon will cause the microspheres to expand. When the heat is removed microspheres remains in its new expanded form with gas entrapped in a closed and elastic cell structure. The volume can increase by 40 to 80 times depending upon the grades.
Thermoplastic microspheres can be used in numerous applications to achieve different properties.
