Mixing ratio of glitter powder and silicone

Mixing ratio of glitter powder and silicone
There is no fixed standard value for the mixing ratio of glitter powder and silicone, which will be affected by many factors:
Based on the use of silicone products
Decorative silicone products (such as silicone ornaments, crafts, etc.):
If you want to achieve a more obvious and dazzling shiny effect, the amount of glitter powder added can be relatively high, generally accounting for about 5% - 20% of the total mass of silicone. For example, some silicone props used for stage performances, holiday decorations, etc. may add nearly 20% glitter powder to create an exaggerated visual effect.
If you pursue a relatively refined and delicate decorative style, the amount of glitter powder added is usually controlled between 1% and 5%, which can make the surface of the product have a looming shiny luster, which looks more elegant.
Ordinary daily use silicone products (such as silicone mobile phone cases, key chains, etc.):
In order to add a certain aesthetics without excessively affecting the original performance and texture of silicone, the amount of glitter powder added is mostly around 0.5% - 3%. For example, for silicone phone cases, adding about 1% - 2% glitter powder can not only make it look more personalized, but also ensure that the basic functions of the phone case, such as flexibility and fit, are not greatly disturbed.
For silicone products with high functional requirements and relatively minor appearance requirements (such as silicone seals, pipes, etc.):
This type of product mainly focuses on the functional characteristics of silicone, such as sealing, medium resistance, and mechanical properties. Glitter powder is added only to play a very small decorative role or is basically not added. If added, it generally does not exceed 0.5% to avoid affecting its key functional indicators.
From the perspective of process operability
Liquid silicone system:
Since the fluidity of liquid silicone has a great influence on the molding effect, excessive addition of glitter powder will make it viscous, making it difficult to smoothly perform molding operations such as injection molding and infusion. Therefore, it is usually more appropriate to control the addition amount within 3%, which is convenient for maintaining good fluidity, ensuring that the mold cavity can be accurately filled, and producing products with qualified appearance and size.
Solid mixing silicone system:
Compared with liquid silicone, the addition amount can be slightly higher, but if the addition amount exceeds 20%, it is easy to cause uneven dispersion and agglomeration of glitter powder during the mixing process, and it may also cause uneven surface and defects of the product during subsequent compression molding. Therefore, it is generally recommended to reasonably select the addition amount within the range of 0.5% - 20%, and to cooperate with sufficient mixing equipment and processes to ensure the uniform dispersion of glitter powder.