What causes the aluminum pigment marking phenomenon? As the economy continues to grow, people are gaining a deeper understanding of aluminum pigments, and many are now turning their attention to the spray-free injection molding industry. While we all know that phones and cars typically require painting, some companies are adopting spray-free technology to enhance their manufacturing processes—indirectly leading to marking issues during the spraying stage due to technical challenges. So, what exactly causes this aluminum pigment marking phenomenon? Let’s have Xuyang’s editor provide a brief introduction on this topic.
What causes the aluminum pigment trace phenomenon?
As far as I understand, generally, paint-free materials are designed to be directly injection-molded, delivering vibrant, multi-colored aesthetic effects without the need for additional painting. These materials are typically made using plastic silver strips as their raw material. Before we explore the reasons behind the marking phenomenon, it’s essential to first grasp what exactly plastic silver strips are.
Typically, plastic silver bars are also known in the industry as strip-shaped aluminum pigments—what we commonly refer to as "silver bars." These are produced by removing excess solvents from aluminum silver paste and then incorporating a variety of additives, followed by extrusion into cylindrical shapes approximately 2 mm in diameter and 8–10 mm in length. Generally, these silver bars are well-suited for use in plastic systems, finding applications primarily in industries such as home appliances, automotive interiors, mobile phone casings, films, profiles, and color masterbatches. They are widely compatible with materials like PE, PP, PC, PC/ABS, ABS, PS, and PA.
So, what causes the trace phenomenon? Actually, it has everything to do with the aluminum pigment—or rather, the aluminum silver flakes—chosen for the application. Specifically, the relationship between flow marks on injection-molded parts and the aluminum pigment stems from two main factors: first, the selection of the aluminum silver flakes themselves; and second, the dispersibility of these flakes within the material. At Xuyang, our specially produced strip-shaped aluminum pigment undergoes a modification process using additives that enhance the inherent properties of the aluminum-silver paste, enabling it to disperse more effectively throughout the base material. As a result, during use, the pigment can be evenly distributed within the plastic, preventing clumping or uneven dispersion altogether.
That’s all for the editor’s introduction to "What Causes Aluminum Pigment Residue Phenomena"—we hope it was helpful to you. Thank you for taking the time to read, and if you enjoy our content, feel free to stay tuned for more updates!
