Neutrally Buoyant in Water – Microspheres with Specific Gravity of 1g/cc

Cospheric offers polymer microspheres with specific gravity of 1g/cc are specifically designed to match the density of water for optimal suspension of particles. Suspension of microspheres in water enables the visualization and characterization of fluid flow and testing the capability of devices to withstand particulate matter in the fluid stream, ensuring that microspheres do not settle and do not float on the surface.  Most of these polymer microspheres are at least moderately opaque and clearly visible in water, clear or translucent liquids.

Many Colors are available in sizes from 10um up to 1180um,  of polyethylene microspheres are available with specific density of 1g/cc, designed for optimum suspension in water for fluid flow visualization.  Colors include Violet, Orange, Yellow, Fluorescent, Grey, Pink, Blue.

Phosphorescent Microspheres – Long Afterglow Particles

Phosphorecent Beads - Yellow Green Afterglow

Phosphorescent microspheres in particle sizes 10 to 600 microns are now available from Cospheric LLC. These phosphorescent particles are 90% spherical and appear to be off-white under ordinary daylight or regular room illumination.  However, when the lights are turned off these phosphorescent particles exhibit phosphorescent yellow-green after-glow.

The spheres have tight particle size distributions and are > 90% within size range.  Polymer spheres that incorporate proprietary phosphorescent ingredient have a melting point of 115°C , and are mechanically stable past 90°C.  Phosphorescent beads are also inert in most solvents.

Intensity of Phosphorescent Afterglow:

Intensity according to DIN 67510-1

800 mcd/m² at 1 minute
180 mcd/m² at 5 minutes
90 mcd/m² at 10 minutes
12 mcd/m² at 1 hour
5 mcd/m² at 2 hours

Excitation and Phosphorescent Emission Curve:

Solid Red Polyethylene Microspheres Announced

Santa Barbara, CA -  May 28, 2010 - Cospheric LLC is now offering a product line of solid red polyethylene microspheres in particle size ranges from 10um to 1000um (1mm).

Offering a bright red color.  These microspheres can be used as additives in personal care products, or in fluid flow visualization experiments.  Samples are in stock and ready to ship to customers for R&D use of product evaluation.  These high quality microspheres are specified to be greater than 90% spherical, and greater than 90% in the specified size range.

Sample Density is 0.98g/cc (Custom densities are available)

Spherical Particle sizes include:

10-27um, 27-32um (30 micron), 32-38um (35 micron), 38-45um (40 micron), 45-53um (50 micron), 53-63um (60 micron), 63-75um (70 micron), 75-90um (80 micron), 90-106um (0.1mm), 106-125um, 125-150um, 150-180um, 180-212um (0.2mm), 212-250um (0.25mm), 250-300um (0.3mm), 300-355um (0.35mm), 355-400um (0.4mm), 400-500um (0.5mm), 500-600um (0.6mm), 600-710um (0.7mm), 710-850um (0.8mm), 850-1000um (0.9mm).

Microspheres for Coatings Applications (Opaque Polyethylene)

Microspheres are well known in the coatings industry for their use as low-surface-area fillers that offer benefits in viscosity and density control, solids content, application and flow characteristics.

Cospheric LLC, a Santa Barbara-based microtechnology company, recently launched a line of opaque polyethylene microspheres that act as a superior opacifying agent and provide maximum hiding power with just one monolayer of microspheres as small as 40 microns in diameter. Microspheres are manufactured in any color imaginable and even in combinations of two differently colored hemispheres. Continue reading “Microspheres for Coatings Applications (Opaque Polyethylene)” »

Exfoliating Beads: Clinical Study

Mickey McDonnell – Honeywell, United States  conducted a study about exfoliating polyethylene beads ~325um diameter.  His article was published in personal care magazine.

ABSTRACT from article:
Exfoliating beads have a long history in cosmetics, but we are unaware of previous studies on the effect of their regular use. A clinical study with 10 subjects shows that regular exfoliation leads to a reduction in the cell turnover time of the stratum corneum (SC) by about 15% (significant at the 95% level). Standard models of skin function interpret increased cell turnover time as increased desquamation. The regularly exfoliated skin also had a significantly increased uptake of dansyl chloride dye. Higher stain uptake accompanying the increase in desquamation suggests that regular exfoliation promotes addition of new cells to the SC. The study acclimatised the test panel to the exfoliant treatment for two weeks prior to the measurements to minimise the chance that results could be attributed to a shift in treatment procedures.

************ Comments  ************

The author calls the exfoliating material beads (325um).  But they are also commonly called polyethylene microspheres.

This study focuses on abrassive exfoliation with polyethylene microspheres.  Exfoliants can also work through the use of either itty bitty bits of abrasives such as crushed apricot pits, crushed almond shell, pumice, etc., or light acids like salicylic, citric, malic, etc. The means are different but the results are the same. Exfoliants remove the dead skin cells from the face that cause a clogged pore. The removal of these dead skin cells will minimize pores and open pores for cleaning. Microdermabrasion is yet another effective exfoliation method that, while it can be done at home, is generally done at salons.