Microesferas de vidro refletoras para marcação rodoviária
As microesferas de vidro maciças fazem a marcação rodoviária brilhar à noite — aplicadas sobre a marcação ainda quente para retrorreflexão imediata ou pré-misturadas no material para manter a reflexão à medida que a linha se desgasta. Este produto é fabricado segundo os requisitos da BS 6088 Class B, com tratamento resistente à humidade ou de flutuação, mediante pedido.
- NOME DO PRODUTOMicroesferas de vidro refletoras para marcação rodoviária
- EMBALAGEM25 kg / saco
- CLASSESBS 6088 Class B (aplicação superficial)
- MATERIALVidro sodo-cálcico incolor — SiO₂ ≥ 70%
- ÍNDICE DE REFRAÇÃO≥ 1.50
- TRATAMENTO SUPERFICIALResistente à humidade (M) / flutuação (F) — especificado na encomenda
- ORIGEMChina
- APLICAÇÃOAplicadas sobre a marcação ainda quente
O que a BS 6088B exige
“BS 6088B” significa Class B — o grau de aplicação superficial — da BS 6088:1981, a norma britânica para microesferas de vidro. No Reino Unido e na UE, foi substituída pela BS EN 1423:2012 em 2013, mas no Médio Oriente, Sudeste Asiático e África continua a ser o código comercial de referência citado em concursos e fichas técnicas. As tabelas abaixo reproduzem os requisitos da própria norma.
Two jobs, two classes
Retroreflection works like this: headlight beams enter the exposed crown of a bead sitting in the line, refract inside the glass, reflect off the bead–paint interface and return toward the driver. BS 6088 splits beads by where they sit in that system:
| Class | Role | Trade name |
|---|---|---|
| Class A | Mixed into the thermoplastic at the factory — exposed layer by layer as the line wears, keeping it reflective for life | Premix / intermix beads |
| Class B | Spread onto the freshly laid hot line or wet paint — embeds in the surface and reflects from the moment the road reopens | Drop-on / surface beads |
| Class C | Peening, plastic reinforcement and other industrial uses | Industrial beads |
The two road classes pair with the British thermoplastic standard: BS 3262 calls for premix beads to BS 6088 Class A when the line must reflectorize, with Class B dropped on during application. The classes are not interchangeable — A is deliberately coarser and lives inside the material; B is sized to embed about half-deep in the surface.
Class B gradation — Table 2 of the standard
| Sieve size | Retained, % by mass |
|---|---|
| 850 μm | 0 – 5 |
| 600 μm | 5 – 20 |
| 300 μm | 30 – 75 |
| 180 μm | 10 – 30 |
| passing 180 μm | 0 – 15 |
The working range is 180–850 μm with the bulk at 300–600 μm — big enough to sit proud of the coating and form a reflecting crown, small enough to embed and stay put. Note the table is written as retained per sieve, not cumulative passing: the two formats give completely different numbers, and misreading one as the other is the most common mistake when auditing a datasheet. For comparison, the premix grade (Class A, Table 1) runs coarser: 0–3% retained at 1.18 mm, 5–20% at 850 μm, 65–95% at 425 μm, 0–10% passing 425 μm.
Bead quality — beyond the sieve
| Property | Class A (premix) | Class B (drop-on) |
|---|---|---|
| Spherical beads, minimum | ≥ 70% | ≥ 80% |
| Defective beads, maximum | ≤ 30% | ≤ 20% |
| Refractive index | ≥ 1.50 | ≥ 1.50 |
| Magnetic particles | ≤ 0.1% | ≤ 0.1% |
| Glass | colourless soda-lime silicate — SiO₂ ≥ 70%, CaO + MgO ≥ 8% | |
Drop-on roundness is set tighter than premix because the sphere shape of a surface bead directly drives the initial night-time brightness. Defective beads — ovals, twins, shards, milky or bubbled glass — are counted under the microscope. The standard also proves durability with four chemical-resistance tests: water, acid and calcium chloride exposure must leave the bead surface without haze or dulling, and a sodium sulphide bath must not darken the beads — a simple screen against high-lead recycled glass, which turns black on contact.
Coatings, and how to order
Class B beads can carry two buyer-specified surface treatments: M, a moisture-proof coating that keeps the beads free-flowing through the dispenser in humid transit and storage, and F, a flotation coating that helps the bead sit at the right depth in the wet coating. A complete order code reads “BS 6088 Class B (M)” or “(M+F)”. A clean tender clause looks like this:
“Glass beads shall conform to BS 6088:1981 Class B, with moisture-proof coating (M); roundness ≥ 80%; refractive index ≥ 1.5; gradation as per Table 2 of the standard.”
In practice, hot-applied thermoplastic takes a drop-on rate around 400–500 g/m² and cold paint 250–450 g/m², with the bead embedded 50–60% of its diameter for best return — useful working figures, but they are industry practice, not clauses of BS 6088, so state your project’s own rate in the contract.
BS 6088B, EN 1423, AASHTO M247 — which to cite
| BS 6088:1981 Class B | BS EN 1423:2012 | AASHTO M247 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Superseded in UK/EU, still the global trade code | Current UK/EU standard (CE/UKCA route) | Current US standard — M 247-26 since 2026 |
| Gradation | Fixed table in the standard (180–850 μm) | Declared by the manufacturer | Fixed tables, Type 1–4 |
| Refractive index | ≥ 1.50, one class | Three classes: ≥ 1.5 / ≥ 1.7 / ≥ 1.9 | ≥ 1.50 (Type 1/2) |
| Roundness | ≥ 80% | Declared per its own annex | ≥ 70% |
| Heavy metals | No ppm clause (Na₂S test screens lead glass) | As / Pb / Sb each ≤ 200 ppm | Per project / federal add-ons |
The BS 6088B band (180–850 μm) overlaps closely with M247 Type 1 — they are effectively the British and American write-ups of the same size class, with BS 6088B holding the stricter roundness. One caution for 2026 contracts: AASHTO revised the bead standard to M 247-26, so name the year rather than writing “latest M 247”. EU or UK projects should be quoted against EN 1423 instead — the same product can satisfy both, but the paperwork differs. Tell us which code your tender cites and we quote against that text.
Da nossa linha ao seu porto
- Sacos de 25 kg herméticos à humidade — em tecido de PP ou papel com revestimento interior, 40–48 sacos por palete; big bags de 1 t mediante pedido.
- Marcados segundo a norma — BS 6088, classe, código de tratamento (M / F), peso líquido, número de lote e data de produção em cada saco, em conformidade com o COA do lote.
- Cada lote é aprovado pelo laboratório interno — análise granulométrica por peneiros, contagem de esfericidade e inspeção visual — antes do empilhamento para carga.
- Expedição a partir do Porto de Qinzhou — Sudeste Asiático em 5–15 dias; África e Américas em cerca de 30 dias, em média. Condições comerciais EXW / FOB / CIF.
- Carregadas juntamente com a sua encomenda de tinta — microesferas e termoplástico no mesmo contentor, uma expedição, um conjunto de documentos.
Combina com
Perguntas de compra
Q-01BS 6088 shows as “superseded” — can I still buy against it?
Yes. BS 6088:1981 was replaced by BS EN 1423:2012 inside the UK and EU, but across the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa it remains the specification tenders actually write. If your project cites BS 6088 Class B, we supply and certify against that text; if it needs the EN route, we quote EN 1423 with the manufacturer declarations it requires.
Q-02What is the difference between Class A and Class B beads?
Class A is the coarser premix grade, blended into the thermoplastic at the factory and exposed as the line wears — it carries the long-term reflectivity. Class B is the finer drop-on grade, spread onto the hot line during application for instant brightness. A reflectorized line normally uses both, and they are not interchangeable.
Q-03Do you supply coated beads?
Yes — moisture-proof (M) coating to keep the beads free-flowing in humid climates, and flotation (F) coating for controlled embedment, alone or combined. State the coating code in your order; uncoated premix beads for AASHTO M249 material are also in the catalog.
Q-04Which trade terms do you support?
We can provide EXW, FOB, CIF services, etc.
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