How to choose reflective powder for silicone screen printing?
Brightness: Brightness is one of the most important performance indicators of reflective powder, which directly affects the reflective effect under light. It can be judged by comparing the reflective brightness of different reflective powders under the same light source, the same distance and angle. The higher the brightness, the easier it is to be noticed at night or in low light conditions. For example, on traffic signs or safety warning products, high-brightness reflective powder can better play a warning role.
Retro-reflective angle: High-quality reflective powder should maintain good reflective effect over a wide angle range, that is, it has a wide retro-reflective angle. This means that no matter which direction the light comes from, there will be obvious reflection. In practical applications, such as outdoor advertising or personal safety equipment, wide-angle reflective performance can ensure that it can be clearly seen at different viewing angles.
Particle size
Fineness requirements: If the silicone screen printing pattern requires high fineness, such as printing small text or complex patterns, reflective powder with smaller particles should be selected. Generally speaking, 200-400 mesh reflective powder is suitable for fine printing. They can better fill the mesh of the screen printing screen, making the printed pattern clearer and more delicate.
Reflective effect and three-dimensional sense: If the reflective effect is required to be high and the pattern fineness is required to be relatively low, reflective powder with larger particles, such as 60-120 mesh, can be selected. Larger particles can form a stronger reflective effect and increase the three-dimensional sense of the pattern to a certain extent.
Chemical stability
Compatibility with silicone: Reflective powder should be well compatible with silicone and not chemically react, ensuring that it will not affect the properties of silicone after mixing, such as curing speed, flexibility, adhesion, etc. Small-scale tests can be conducted to observe whether the mixed silicone has delamination, discoloration, abnormal curing, etc.
Weather resistance: Considering that silicone screen printing products may be exposed to different environmental conditions, reflective powder needs to have good weather resistance, including UV resistance, high and low temperature resistance, acid and alkali resistance, etc. For products used outdoors, such as road signs, outdoor advertising, etc., the weather resistance of reflective powder is particularly important to ensure that the reflective effect will not be significantly reduced after long-term use.
Color selection
Matching with design: Reflective powder is usually available in a variety of colors, such as silver, gold, white, yellow, etc. According to the design requirements of the silicone screen printing product, choose the reflective powder of the appropriate color to achieve the desired visual effect. For example, on some fashionable decorations, gold or colored reflective powder can be selected to increase the attractiveness of the product.
Color stability: Ensure that the reflective powder of the selected color will not fade or change color during long-term use, and maintain color stability.