Solid soda lime glass spheres add light reflectance properties to traffic paints used for road line markings and anti-slip properties to flooring systems for barefoot traffic in bathrooms and wet rooms. The spheres can be used as a flow aid in resins, and as a processing aid in thermoplastics and thermosets. Their spherical shape helps reduce viscosity and aid material flow, with improved stress distribution and less shrinkage in mouldings. Technical coatings can be applied to improve chemical bonding, and coloured coatings can be applied to give a highly decorative pigmented glass bead.