Conductive nickel-plated hollow glass microspheres are often used as a lightweight, lower cost, electrically conductive additive and an alternative option to expensive silver fillers. To achieve this functionality hollow spherical microparticles are coated with a thin layer of nickel metal to create an electrically conductive surface. This lightweight filler in often used in paints, adhesives, composites, and specialized research and development applications to provide cost-effective electrical conductivity.