PHONOSORB^® Molecular Sieve Beads
The Industry Standard

PHONOSORB^® beads are the most common products used in loose fill insulating glass units today.

They are characterized by an optimal combination of adsorptive and mechanical properties.

Window industry certification programs have placed great emphasis on achieving the lowest possible dew points in the interspace between the panes. As a result, manufacturers have mistakenly chosen desiccants such as 13X and 4A molecular sieves, which exhibit higher water adsorption capacities.

However, these types of desiccants cause serious problems, since they adsorb large amounts of nitrogen or other gases used for heat insulation (such as argon) from the interspace at cold temperatures. This results in glass deflection, seal failure, and even glass brakeage.

In contrast, PHONOSORB^® desiccants are comprised of 3A zeolite crystals with pore diameters that allow high adsorption of water, but are designed to be too small to allow the adsorption of nitrogen, oxygen, or commonly used filling gases. This meets the specific needs of the insulating glass manufacturing industry.

Grace PHONOSORB^® molecular sieves are compatible with all commonly used filling systems. Using a special de-dusting treatment during production, PHONOSORB^® beads have an extremely low dust content and very high attrition resistance. Their optimized bead strength and a fine-tuned particle size distribution are designed to facilitate smooth filling without significant attrition.