A method of manufacturing a plurality of expanded microspheres, comprises mixing a plurality of solid particles, at least one binding material capable of binding the plurality of solid particles, and a plurality of reactive expansion components into a batch, forming a plurality of agglomerated particles from the batch, heating the plurality of agglomerated particles in an expansion equipment to above a softening temperature of at least a portion of the plurality of agglomerated particles and activating the plurality of reactive expansion components, and forming a gas and expanding the plurality of agglomerated particles into the plurality of expanded microspheres, the step of activating the plurality of reactive expansion components occurring independently from a chemical composition of an atmosphere surrounding the plurality of agglomerated particles inside the expansion equipment.