The Application of Paint-Free Plastics in E-cigarette Casings

The spray-free material is a kind of material modified through specific compatibility technology. It can be directly injection-molded in one step without spraying, achieving the required appearance effect of painting.

This kind of material usually involves adding pigments such as pearlescent powder and metallic pigments to a specific resin, and through modification technology, it has good appearance properties and physical properties.

The spray-free material not only simplifies the production process and improves production efficiency, but also reduces environmental pollution, achieving the goal of low-carbon environmental protection.

In the e-cigarette industry, with the increasingly intense trend of cost reduction and efficiency improvement, the application of spray-free materials also holds a place. It is mainly applied to the e-cigarette shell to achieve effects such as flow lines, dot scattering, and flashing.

I. Application Advantages

1. Environmental Friendliness: The spray-free technology eliminates the spraying process, reducing the emission of harmful substances such as paint, which meets the high environmental protection requirements of current society.

2. Cost Reduction: Although the spray-free material itself may be slightly more expensive than ordinary plastic materials, considering that subsequent processing costs such as spraying and electroplating are saved, and the potential improvement in production efficiency, the overall cost is often lower.

3. Rich Color Palette: Spray-free materials can achieve a variety of colors and special effects, such as metallic texture and pearlescent effect, meeting the high aesthetic requirements of e-cigarette shells.

4. Good Weather Resistance: Spray-free materials usually have good weather resistance, and are not prone to fading or discoloration, ensuring the long-term aesthetic appearance of e-cigarette shells.

5. High Production Efficiency: The spray-free technology simplifies the production process and improves production efficiency, helping enterprises to quickly respond to market demands.

   
   

II. Achievable Effects and Applications

The types of spray-free materials are diverse. According to their appearance effects and applications, they can be divided into multiple categories. For example, various spray-free materials with effects such as piano black, ceramic white, metallic texture, pearlescent, and marble have been launched on the market.

These materials can be applied in different fields to meet various needs. For instance:

• Automotive Field: In the automotive industry, spray-free materials are mainly applied for high-gloss and metallic luster effects. The materials include PMMA/ASA, PC, ASA, PP, ABS, PC/ABS, PA, etc.

• Home Appliance Field: Commonly used spray-free materials in the home appliance field include ABS, PMMA/ABS, PP, PC/ABS, POM, etc. They are mainly applied to components such as LCD TV bezels, air conditioner, refrigerator and washing machine panels, vacuum cleaner casings, and various small home appliances.

• E-cigarette Field: Commonly used spray-free materials in the e-cigarette field are ABS, PC, etc. The common effects include flow lines, dot scattering, metallic texture, pearlescent effect, etc., and they are mainly used for e-cigarette shells.

  
  

III. Types of Spray-Free Materials

Spray-free materials mainly include various types of plastics, such as ABS, PP, PC/ABS, POM, PA, PBT, etc. Through special modification technologies, these materials can endow products with pearlescent, colorful or metallic appearances, while also having good physical properties and processing performance. The specific types and characteristics are as follows:

• ABS: It has good weather resistance, high surface hardness and gloss, as well as scratch resistance.

• PP: It features high gloss, easy molding, and scratch resistance.

• PC/ABS: It has a balance of rigidity and toughness, beautiful colors, and good fluidity.

• POM, PA, PBT, etc.: These are also commonly used in the manufacturing of spray-free materials to meet the needs of different fields.

  
  

IV. Formulation Composition of Spray-Free Materials

The formulation of spray-free materials varies depending on the specific application fields and performance requirements, but it usually includes the following basic components:

1. Resin Matrix: Such as ABS resin, ABS-PCR, etc.

2. Metal Powder or Pearlescent Powder: Used to endow the material with a metallic luster or pearlescent effect.

3. Coupling Agent: To enhance the bonding force between the resin and the pigment.

4. Dispersant: To ensure the uniform dispersion of the pigment in the resin.

5. Scratch Resistance Agent: To improve the scratch resistance of the material.

6. Antioxidant: To prevent the material from oxidative degradation during processing and use.

For example, a typical formulation of a spray-free material may contain 55-65% of ABS resin, 30-40% of ABS-PCR, 0.5-1.5% of aluminum powder, 1.5-2% of coupling agent, 1.8-2.2% of dispersant, 1-1.5% of scratch resistance agent, and 0.15-0.25% of antioxidant.

V. Injection Molding Process

The injection molding process of spray-free materials mainly includes the following steps:

1. Raw Material Preparation: Mix the components in the formulation evenly according to a certain ratio.

2. Drying Treatment: Conduct a drying treatment on the mixed raw materials to remove moisture and volatile substances.

3. Injection Molding: Feed the dried raw materials into the injection molding machine, and inject them into the mold to form the product through high temperature and high pressure.

4. Cooling and Demoulding: Take out the injection-molded part from the mold after it has cooled and solidified.

The key to the injection molding process lies in controlling parameters such as the injection temperature, injection speed, and injection pressure to ensure the quality and appearance of the injection-molded product.

VI. Molds

The design of injection molds for spray-free materials is crucial to the final quality of the product. The following aspects need to be considered in the mold design:

1. Parting Surface Design: Ensure that the injection-molded part can be demoulded smoothly and has no defects on the appearance.

2. Runner Design: Optimize the melt flow path to reduce weld lines and flow marks.

3. Cooling System Design: Cool the injection-molded part quickly to shorten the production cycle and improve product quality.

4. Mold Material Selection: Select mold materials with good wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and thermal conductivity to extend the service life of the mold.

With the continuous advancement of technology and the emergence of new materials, the spray-free materials for e-cigarette shells are also constantly being updated and upgraded. Therefore, when selecting materials for e-cigarette shells, it is necessary to comprehensively consider factors such as the performance, cost, environmental friendliness of the materials, as well as market demands, so as to select the most suitable material to meet the product requirements.