What's the difference between ultra-fine silver powder and floating silver?
Release date:
2023-04-14
Do you know the difference between ultra-fine silver powder and floating silver? As everyone knows, ultra-fine silver powder is a key raw material in the electrical and electronics industries—and it’s also one of the most widely used precious metal powders in the electronics sector. Meanwhile, floating silver exhibits varying appearances depending on particle size: from a rough, white texture to highly reflective surfaces that can even mimic the chrome-plating effect. So, what exactly sets ultra-fine silver powder apart from floating silver? Let’s find out together with Xuyang’s editor!
Do you know the difference between ultra-fine silver powder and floating silver? As we all know, ultra-fine silver powder is a key raw material in the electrical and electronics industries—and it’s also one of the most widely used precious metal powders in the electronics sector. Meanwhile, floating silver varies in appearance depending on particle size, ranging from a rough, white look to highly reflective surfaces that can even create a chrome-plated effect. So, what exactly sets ultra-fine silver powder apart from floating silver? Let’s find out together with Xuyang’s editor!
What’s the difference between ultrafine silver powder and floating silver? To understand the distinctions between these two, we can examine them from three perspectives. Now, let’s have our editor walk you through the details.
1. Different definitions
Ultrafine aluminum powder primarily refers to silver powder at the nanoscale, with particle shapes ranging from spherical and dendritic to flaky, cubic, and microcrystalline. Due to its unique structural characteristics, it exhibits size effects, quantum size effects, surface effects, and even macroscopic quantum tunneling effects—endowing it with physical and chemical properties that traditional materials simply cannot match. The main raw materials for floating silver include atomized aluminum powder, solvent oil, and stearic acid; this material has a relatively low density and excellent opacity.
2. Different manufacturing methods
The manufacturing methods for ultrafine silver powder are primarily divided into three types: the vapor-phase method, the liquid-phase method, and the solid-phase method. The vapor-phase method is costly, energy-intensive, and yields low production volumes. In contrast, the liquid-phase chemical reduction method is currently the most common approach for producing small batches of ultrafine silver powder at a lower cost. Meanwhile, ultrafine silver powders prepared via the solid-phase method tend to have larger particle sizes on average, with a broader distribution range. Additionally, during the ball-milling stage, stearic acid—a saturated fatty acid—is used as a lubricant to make aluminum flakes hydrophobic and oleophobic.
3. Different uses
Ultra-fine aluminum powder has a wide range of applications, primarily in industries such as chemicals and fireworks. Floating silver, on the other hand, is mainly used in roofing coatings that demand high levels of protection, as well as in maintenance and preservation products, anti-corrosion coatings, reflective paints, and coatings designed to mimic chrome-plated finishes.
That’s all for today’s topic—“What’s the Difference Between Ultrafine Aluminum Powder and Floating Silver?” We hope this gives you a simple overview. Until next time, goodbye!
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