WHAT ARE GLASS BEADS?
Glass beads are tiny, spherical crystals that are used for road marking. They are made from high-quality glass and are applied to the road once the road marking paint has been applied. This allows the paint to sustain its reflective and shiny properties.
What is the advantage of Glass beads in Road marking paints?
Glass beads in road marking offer various benefits. It is because of these benefits that the practice of adding glass beads in road marking paints is usual. Here is a brief overview of the importance of glass beads in road marking paints:
- Improved Visibility: The reflective properties of the glass beads allow them to reflect the light. This, when they are used in the road marking paints, they improve the visibility of the paint. Thus, when at night, street light or car light is shed on the road marking paints, they are visible, guiding the driver and reducing the chances of accidents.
- Improving the life of road marking paints: By using glass beads in road marking paints, the lifespan of the paints tends to be improved. The use of glass beads does not allow the road marking paints to chip off and fade away easily. This way, the need for repainting the roads is lapsed.
- Improved Safety: Glass beads make the road marking paints reflective and visible, especially at night. Night time can be crucial for the drivers as the visibility is low, yet, with glass beads in road marking paints, the drivers are able to get teh sense of the road and thus they add immensely in road safety.
- Cost-Effective: Glass beads are important in improving the lifespan of road marking paints. Thus, by investing in glass beads, the cost of road paints and painting services is reduced. Which makes glass beads an economically viable option.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GLASS BEADS?
Several different types of glass beads can be used in road marking. The three main types of glass beads are:
- Uncoated Glass Beads: One of the most widely used glass beads is the uncoated glass beads. With a refractive index of 1.5, they tend to be the most suitable type of glass beads used in road marking paints. They are made from high-quality glass.
- Coated Glass Beads: Unlike uncoated glass beads, coated glass beads are coated with a thin layer of titanium dioxide or aluminum oxide. This allows for the improvement of the reflective properties of the beads and makes them commercially viable.
- Drop-On Glass Beads: These glass beads are a little bigger than a normal glass bead. They have a diameter of around 850 microns. Due to their larger size, they tend to improve the visibility of the traffic marking paints. They are used on highways and areas that experience high traffic at night.
How are Glass beads used in Road marking paints?
There is no single method for using Glass beads in road marking paints. Infact there are different ways which are:
- Pre-mixing the Beads:
The conventional method of applying glass beads on the road marking paint is to mix the paint and the glass beads in the required proportions before applying it on the road. This allows to evenly mix the glass beads in the paint. Also, not only does it give a smooth and even texture, but also helps in saving time.
- Post-Applied Beads:
One of the other ways to apply glass beads in road marking paint is by spraying them on the paint after the paint has been applied. This is not a convenient method though, as it requires a special spraying machine for glass beads and also requires precision as the paint has to be wet when the beads are sprayed. Yet the results of both methods are similar.
- Drop-On Beads application:
The drop-on glass beads, as the name suggests are dropped on the wet paint. They are not mixed into the paint nor are sprayed. Rather, once the road marking paint has been applied, and the paint is still wet, the drop-on glass beads are dropped onto it. This tends to get embedded in the paint and improve visibility of it.
Conclusion
In the end, glass beads are a critical component of street marking, presenting elevated visibility and safety to drivers. By reflecting light, they make road markings greatly visible in low-light conditions, while also growing their lifespan and decreasing the want for frequent repainting. Glass beads are available in quite a few sorts and sizes, and can be carried out to the road surface that use several different methods, depending at the specific requirements of the venture. Overall, glass beads are a cost-effective and reliable manner to enhance road safety and reduce injuries.
Total System Solution is offering high-quality glass beads to improve the visibility and lifespan of road marking paints!
