Ballotini Impact Beads
Soda-Lime Glass · Ballotini Beads · Glass Impact Beads · Glass Microspheres · Blasting Beads
Ballotini impact beads are precision-manufactured spherical glass beads produced from soda-lime glass. Their uniform shape and hardness make them ideal for blasting, peening, cleaning, and reflective applications. The material is dense, free-flowing, and highly abrasive to conveying equipment despite the smooth bead geometry. Fine glass dust may also be generated through handling and bead breakage. KWS designs heavy-duty conveying systems with wear-resistant components to ensure reliable and efficient handling of ballotini beads.
Overview
Chemical Formula
Common Names
Common Forms
Applications
- Surface preparation and abrasive blasting
- Shot peening and metal finishing
- Reflective road marking materials
- Industrial cleaning and polishing
- Specialty fillers and engineered materials
Material Characteristics
| Property | Value / Description |
|---|---|
| Common Forms | Spherical Glass Beads In A Range Of Particle Sizes |
| Bulk Density | 90-110 lb/ft³ (depends on bead size and grading) |
| Flow Behavior | Free-flowing and non-cohesive |
| Abrasiveness | High Causes wear on screws, housings, and transfer points |
| Corrosiveness | Not Corrosive |
| Dust Potential | Moderate Broken beads and fines can generate airborne glass dust |
Handling Challenges
- Abrasive wear on conveying equipment and liners
- Particle degradation and bead breakage during transfer
- Dust generation from fractured beads and fines
- Segregation of bead sizes during conveying and storage
- Impact loading and noise at transfer and discharge points
Summary
Ballotini impact beads require conveying and storage systems designed for dense, free-flowing, and abrasive materials. KWS Manufacturing provides engineered conveying solutions—including screw conveyors, drag conveyors, and belt conveyors—constructed with abrasion-resistant materials and designed to minimize bead degradation.
With extensive experience handling glass products and abrasive industrial materials, KWS ensures efficient, reliable, and low-maintenance operation for ballotini impact bead handling systems.
