PERLITE AS A FILLER

There are several classes of perlite lightweight fillers:

1. What are often called ultra fine fillers are made by milling and classifying expanded perlite under stringent quality control conditions to create particles with jagged interlocking structures.

2. What are called perlite bubbles or perlite hollow spheres are similar in size to the ultra fine perlite fillers but they are discreet bubbles containing a multi-cellular core. They too are produced under stringent quality control standards to guarantee consistency and quality. In addition, they can be produced with special surface treatments to provide additional benefits in special mixes and formulations.

3. Finally, there are what might be called basic or general light-weight perlite fillers where traditional expanded perlite in sizes from 2000 microns down to 500 microns are used as fillers in products and mixes.  This Product Guide deals with ultra fine perlite fillers.

WHY PERLITE ULTRA FINE FILLERS?

Several important characteristics of ultra fine perlite make it extremely useful as a filler:

• very light weight
• reinforcing structure
• fine particle size
• high brightness
• mild abrasiveness
• lower volumetric cost
• availability

TYPICAL PRODUCT APPLICATIONS

Perlite ultra fine fillers have been used in a number of proprietary applications for many years. Some of these applications include:

• silicone rubber
• synthetic rubbers
• natural rubbers
• thermoplastic resins
  • polyethylene
  • PVC
  • others
• thermosetting resins
  • polyester
  • others
• paint
• coatings
• polishes
• cleansers

If you think your application would benefit from the properties of ultra fine fillers, perlite bubble type fillers, or other grades of perlite, please contact your local supplier or the Perlite Institute.