Flowable pressure compensating fitting materials

A deformable, pressure-compensating pad comprising:

• a flexible protective envelope having confined therein a predetermined amount of viscous flowable, pressure-compensating material;
• said envelope being shaped to allow flow therein of confined material in response to continuously applied, deforming pressure loads exerted on the pad;
• said confined pressure-compensating material having a substantially homogeneous, flowable, continuous phase comprising an oil;
• a colloidal silica product, said silica product being uniformly distributed throughout said flowable, continuous phase;
• and hollow discreet glass microbeads, said oil being substantially non-hardening, said glass microbeads having a density lower than the combined density of said oil and said silica product, said glass microbeads being uniformly distributed throughout said flowable, continuous phase;
• said confined pressure-compensating material being characterized:
• by being flowable in response to continuously applied pressure, but being essentially non-flowable in the absence of such pressure;
• by a substantially homogeneous consistency which does not vary substantially in viscosity in response to ambient temperatures and ambient temperature changes;
• and
• by being resistant to phase separation.