How Do Glass Beads Have an Effect on the Reflection of Road Markings?

Road marking is an essential part of traffic signs, which conveys important information such as right of way, guidance and warning to people. Equipment, paint, construction and glass beads are all indispensable so as to make long-lasting reflective road markings. However, glass beads are often ignored by people among all kinds of comparison for traffic materials. In the following we will know how the usage of glass beads affect the reflection of road markings:

1. Roundness of Glass Beads
In the case of the same weather, equipment, construction operation and other conditions, the higher the roundness of glass beads has, the higher the retro-reflection index of the road markings show, the better the reflection effect, and vice versa.

2. Refractive Index of Glass Beads
According to the different refractive index (RI) of glass beads, glass beads are divided into high refractive index glass beads, medium refractive index glass beads and low refractive index glass beads. At present, the refractive index of glass beads used in road markings in China is generally about 1.50.

3. Material of Glass Beads
Under normal circumstances, the better the road marking glass beads material is, the greater its density or specific gravity will have, the higher the refractive index of the glass bead will be, the better road markings reflection will affect, and vice versa.

4. Production Technology of Glass Beads
The production technology of glass beads for road markings is diverse, and the corresponding production process and technical requirements are different, which affects the stability, optical effect, color uniformity and reflective performance of glass beads.

5. Surface Coating of Glass Beads
By chemical or physical methods, the surface of the glass bead is covered with a layer of coating for a specific purpose, which can improve the performance of the glass bead in a certain aspect and enhance the effect of its application. Therefore, according to road conditions and reflective effect needs, it’s necessary to choose the appropriate coating of glass beads.

6. The Settling of Glass Beads
The degree of embedding of glass beads in the paint film has a certain functional relationship with the intensity of regression reflection. Usually glass beads need to be embedded up to 50% of their diameter to ensure that they do not fall off. However, the larger the volume of glass beads embedded, the lower the reflectivity, so it is necessary to ensure that the volume of glass beads into the paint film is maintained at 1/2 to 2/3 of the total volume.

7. The Amount of Glass Beads To Be Spread
The amount of glass beads should be appropriate. If the amount of spreading is too little, the reflected light point is less, and the brightness of the marking line is poor. If the amount of spreading is too much, the glass beads are easy to stack, and the light is repeatedly refracted between the glass beads, which will affect the reflection.

8. The Particle Size of Glass Beads
The particle size of glass beads is also one of the factors that affect their reflective performance. It can refer to different national standards, and according to the actual road conditions, construction technology and thickness requirements, the particle size of glass beads can be selected.

9. Adhesion of Glass Beads to Paint
The adhesion of glass beads and paint is low, and the glass beads are easy to fall off. Even if the retro-reflection coefficient just drawn by the road markings can meet the requirements, it can only maintain short-term reflection performance, and the retro-reflection coefficient decays fast, and the road marking has poor persistent reflection. The closer the bond between glass beads and the paint have, the better the continuous reflective effect of the road markings will have.

10. Hardness of Glass Beads
The hardness level of the reflective glass beads affects the long-lasting reflective effect of the road markings. Under the same condition, the higher the hardness level of the glass beads, the more difficult it is to be rolled to wear, crush, so that the durable reflective life is relatively longer.

11. Corrosion Resistance of Glass Beads
Road markings glass beads in the process of use will be subjected to water, acid, alkali, salt, gas and other various chemical agents and solvents erosion, glass beads resistance to these erosion is to ensure the effectiveness of reflective road markings one of the prerequisites. The better the corrosion resistance of the glass beads have, the longer the service life will have, the better the long-lasting reflective effect of road markings will be.

12. The Use of Premix Glass Beads
The use of premix glass beads needs to be added according to the appropriate proportion, if not, it will make the marking line reflective effect poor. Even more, it may cause the lasting reflective effect is not good, the settlement effect is not good, the marking line is easy to crack and other problems. To this end, it is necessary to test according to different road conditions, construction technology and thickness requirements to adjust the most suitable ratio, so that the reflection and durability of the road markings can be better displayed.

13. Whiteness of Road Marking Paint
The whiteness of the marking paint is related to the percentage of TiO2, it will significantly affect the reflection. When using the same glass beads, the higher the TiO2 content in the marking paint, the higher the reverse reflection index will have.

High quality reflective road markings can bring more safety to pedestrians and drivers. Glass beads are a key factor in ensuring visibility of road markings at night. Tory as a leading manufacturer of glass beads for road markings with more than 30 years-experience, is dedicated to renovating technology and keeping quality high. Tory is glad to offer help if you need glass beads for road markings. And all products can be customized according to customer requirements.