Abstract: An expanded material suitable for industrial application may have a nominal tap density from 0.18 grams/cc to 1.00 grams/cc and a wall thickness greater than 1.00 microns. The expanded material may take the form of an expanded silicate, for instance perlite, obsidian, pitchstone or vermiculite. A composition may include the expanded material in a dispersion, for example a resin dispersion, for instance a latex acrylic. Such may be particularly suitable as a partial or complete substitute for another aggregate used in the composition, such as sand. The composition may be suitable in structural applications, for example as an EIFS coat. The expanded material may, or may not, include a partial or complete hydrophobic coating.