Timeline
- 1980 - Concept of novel Glassflake rotary production
- 1983 - First Glassflake produced on new process
- 1987 - Formation of Glassflake Ltd in the UK
- 1998 - Development of groundbreaking 1-micron flake
- 2007 - Formation of Glassflake Australia Pty Ltd
- 2009 - Opening of Glassflake China Production Facility; Langfang, Beijing
- 2013 - Launch of sub 1-micron Glassflake as the 'next generation' of effect pigment substrate
- 2015 - Sibelco UK Ltd becomes significant share holder
Glass flake was first used in the late 1950s for reinforcement of polyesters, they were then quickly adopted into the anti-corrosive coatings sector as an in-situ barrier, only later finding their way into the effect pigments sector as a substrate and into wider use in polymers to improve mechanical, barrier and thermal properties. Glassflake Ltd was formed in 1987 as a result of extensive research and development to create a technically superior type of glass flake than the one available in the marketplace at that time, specifically for the coatings market. Innovations in production and glass technology were required to achieve these products. The Glassflake Group introduced Glassflake with lower average thicknesses and significantly reduced deviation as well as engineering glass compositions.