Gloss Meter | Improve the PP Material Gloss
1. Related concepts of PP materials
PP material is a colorless and transparent solid material with rich physical and chemical properties. It has a very low density, but excellent mechanical properties (ductility and tensile strength). Due to its strong stability and heat resistance, the gloss is excellent for control and improvement, so it is often used in plastic films, automotive processing and medical material processing industry.
2. The use of PP material
PP is highly plastic and non-toxic which is an environmentally friendly raw material. People often develop and process PP materials based on their actual performance and then put them into use in different industries. This article mainly cites three examples of PP materials in the automotive industry, medical material processing and packaging supplies processing.
(1) Automotive industry
In some 4S stores or car interior stores, we often see a dazzling array of plastic car interiors. Most of the raw materials of these products are derived from PP materials. The gloss of the PP material can be measured using a gloss meter. The specific gloss can also be modified according to the specific values measured by the instrument, the PP material is one of the most popular raw materials in the automotive processing industry.
(2) Medical materials
In the medical industry, the most commonly used are plastic needles, transparent catheters and some transparent disposable appliances, most of these synthetics are mostly products of PP materials. PP materials are extremely stable and non-toxic to humans, they will not deform in the face of high-temperature or low-temperature environments. Therefore, the medical material processing industry uses this type of material as the raw material for products.
(3) Packaging supplies
Generally speaking, the superior surface gloss of PP materials can make the products more attractive as packaging products. Basically, food packaging, outer packaging of daily necessities and parts are all synthetic materials of PP materials. If you want a stronger decorative effect and higher surface gloss, technicians can also add colorants and brighteners during processing .
3. Methods to improve the gloss of PP materials
The gloss of PP materials is affected by many factors. The brightening methods we most often focus on are often concentrated in the processing process. On the one hand, colorants and brighteners can be added. On the other hand, the processing procedure can be simplified and the technological level can be improved.
(1) Add brightener
As the name suggests, brightener is a chemical substance added to PP material to increase its brightness and gloss. If the value detected by the gloss meter can not meet the requirements of the product, then the appropriate amount of brightener can be added during the processing process, which has a very obvious effect.
(2) Reduce processing steps
The processing of PP materials is often based on their end use. It is worth mentioning that the more complicated the processing procedures and the more steps, the higher the surface roughness of the synthetic PP material. This also directly affects its gloss value, which is not conducive to creating a high-end packaging sense of gloss. Therefore, the processing of PP materials can be simplified as much as possible.
4. Gloss meterrelated measurement of PP material
The gloss of the PP material surface is completely impossible to judge from the eyes. We must use a gloss meter to measure it before it can be evaluated and compared as a whole. Then it is also necessary to ensure that the selection and measurement of the gloss meter are carried out in accordance with the correct requirements and specifications.
We can choose a gloss meter with an incident angle of 60 degrees (a universal detection angle on the market) according to the relevant national standards. For example, Linshang 60 degree gloss meter LS192, its measuring range can reach 1000GU. It can achieve non-destructive, non-pressure, free switching measurement of high gloss and low gloss PP materials.