Coated microspheres offer numerous advantages to scientists, engineers, and researchers, due to the combined properties of the core substrate material (e.g. solid or hollow glass, polymer, or silica) and the functional coating (e.g. metal, TiO2, ZnO, silane, or fluorochemical coatings).

For example, applying a thin gold coating to solid barium titanate glass microspheres produces slightly conductive high density glass microspheres. In another example of combined functionality, solid barium titanate glass microspheres are hemispherically coated with a thin aluminum coating and then further coated with either silane or fluorochemical to offer exceptional retroreflective properties. Hemispherical aluminum coating, the high refractive index of the solid glass barium titanate spheres, and the secondary coating that forces the spheres to "pop" to the surface, all work together to achieve superior retroreflectivity.

"Conductospheres" or nickel-coated hollow microspheres offer a unique combination of a lightweight conductive spherical powder, which can be used to provide electrical conductivity as a lightweight filler in paints, adhesives, and composites. While conductive silver-coated poly(methylmethacrylate) PMMA microspheres are ideal for applications where some deflection of core material is required for maintaining conductivity.

Many choices of coated microspheres are available, including custom partial coatings on glass microspheres and many metal-coated microparticles. If you don't see what you are looking for, please contact a microparticles expert for a recommendation.