Dunnage Beads
these small pellets were manufactured for use in shipping goods in cargo crates. Mush items to be shipped didn't fit into a cube or rectangle, so they had to be packed into a cargo crate and protected from breakage. After the items were placed in a cargo crate, dunnage beads could be poured into the crate to cover the item completely. Then, the crate could be sealed and laded onto a starship. Because of their soft but dense construction, dunnage beads could absorb the shock of a sudden jolt, thereby protecting whatever they were packed around.