Expancel® thermoplastic microspheres

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Expancel^® microspheres
A world of possibilities

Lighter, stronger, faster, cheaper, more attractive, longer-lasting, better performing, and more sustainable—today's products have a lot to live up to.

This is the world for which Expancel^® microspheres were created. Since 1980, they have helped product developers and manufacturers create lighter products and reduce manufacturing costs while improving quality, adding functionality, and enabling innovation—opening a world of possibilities.

Today, you'll find them in a wide array of everyday products around the world—from the paint on your walls to the car you drive, the shoes you walk in, and the packaging that protects your food.

Illustration showing how Expancel Microspheres blowing agents can expand up to 60 times in volume when heated without increasing in weight. — To watch our YouTube videos, please accept the social media cookie OR click the image. Cookie settings

Lightweight filler and blowing agent all in one

Expancel^® microspheres are small spheres encapsulating a gas. When heated, the gas expands while the shell softens, resulting in a dramatic increase in volume —up to 60 times their original size. This process reduces material density without any chemical reactions, residue, or VOC emissions during expansion.

Expancel^® microspheres are available in a broad range of forms—unexpanded, expanded, wet, and dry—each offered with specific thermomechanical properties and particle sizes. This versatility, along with expansion temperatures ranging from 85°C to 230°C, supports a wide range of process and application requirements, enabling integration into diverse manufacturing processes.

Expancel® microspheres expand up to 60 times original volume when heat is added, without chemical reactions, residue or VOC emissions.

Expancel^® microspheres offer dual functionality as a lightweight filler and a blowing agent. As a lightweight filler, they achieve exceptionally low densities—down to 25 kg/m³. Even small amounts can significantly reduce the weight of products like elastomeric cool roof coatings, paint, cultured marble, underbody coatings, sealants, and polyester putties.

Unexpanded Expancel^® microspheres are excellent blowing agents for a wide range of matrices. They provide controlled foaming and stable processing, resulting in a fine, uniform cell structure. They are used as a blowing agent in applications such as shoe soles, wine stoppers, printing inks, wallpaper, and car weather strips.

Expancel® microspheres achieve densities as low as 25 kg/m³—significantly lower than those of comparable filler materials.

From small spheres to a world of applications

High compressibility, no shrinkage

Expancel^® FG for food packaging offers high compressibility, no shrinkage, no moisture absorption and is approved by regulatory authorities.

Superior reflectance and elasticity

Expancel^® WE and Expancel^® DE for elastomeric cool-roof coatings give superior reflectance and elasticity and reduce cost and weight.

Reduce weight, improve sealing

Expancel^® DU and Expancel^® DE are used by the automotive industry to reduce weight, dampen sound and improve sealing.

The extra small Expancel® XS200 microspheres

Infusing the magic of microspheres into thin-layer interior paint

Product categories and services

Expancel® BIO microspheres The future of microspheres starts now

This groundbreaking product concept for expandable microspheres marks a significant advancement in innovation. Expancel® BIO microspheres provide a partially biobased, high-performance lightweight filler and blowing agent.

Featured products

Expancel microspheres

Expancel HP92 DU 80

Dry powder of unexpanded thermoplastic microspheres used as a blowing agent in automotive applications. It expands at a temperature range of 116-200°C and the particle size is around 80 µm in its expanded form.

Expancel microspheres

Expancel HP92 DET 80 d45

Dry powder of expanded thermoplastic microspheres used as a lightweight filler in automotive applications. It has a particle size of around 80 µm.

Expancel microspheres

Expancel 921 WE 40 d24

Wet, expanded thermoplastic microspheres used as a lightweight filler in coatings, porous ceramics and similar applications. It has a particle size of around 40 µm.

Expancel microspheres

Expancel 909 DU 80

Dry powder of unexpanded thermoplastic microspheres used as a blowing agent in silicone rubber and different coatings applications. It expands at a temperature range of 118-187°C and the particle size is around 80 µm in its expanded form.

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