Flake silver powder and spherical silver powder are two types of silver powder used in various industries. Although they are both made from silver, they have different characteristics and unique applications. This article will cover the differences between flake silver powder and spherical silver powder and their applications in different industries.
Flake Silver Powder: Characteristics and Applications
Flake silver powder is made using a specific production process, and it has the following features:
1. Particle size - The particle size of flake silver powder is usually within the range of several micrometers to several tens of micrometers. It has a larger specific surface area, providing more contact area and enhancing conductivity.
2. Thickness - The average thickness of flake silver powder is between 50-100nm, which makes it highly conductive and malleable.
3. Conductivity - The high purity and special microstructure of flake silver powder give it excellent conductivity, decreasing resistance and increasing conductivity efficiency.
4. Stability - Flake silver powder has good stability in conductive silver paste, maintaining its conductive performance for a long time without oxidation or deterioration.
Flake silver powder has a wide range of applications in the electronics industry, such as manufacturing conductive adhesive, conductive film and conductive stickers, connecting electronic components, and providing a reliable conductive path. It is also used in the photovoltaic industry to prepare photovoltaic cell back electrodes, providing efficient current transmission and increasing the energy conversion efficiency of photovoltaic cells. Additionally, it is used in the automotive industry to manufacture conductive adhesives, which can be applied in automotive glass defrosting systems, automotive sensors, and more.
Spherical Silver Powder: Characteristics and Applications
Spherical silver powder is silver powder with a spherical structure. During the production process, special processes are used to regulate its properties, leading to the following characteristics:
1. Particle size and shape - Spherical silver powder has a regular spherical structure, with a high sphericity ratio, which results in a minimal difference between its average particle size and its equivalent diameter.
2. Surface area and density - The spherical silver powder structure has a lower specific surface area, but it has a higher particle density, which results in a more compact conductive layer and an excellent filling performance.
3. Conductivity - Spherical silver powder has good conductivity, which is comparable to flake silver powder.
Spherical silver powder is mainly used in conductive ink. Due to its excellent filling performance, it can be combined with other conductive materials to produce high-quality conductive inks for touch screens, membrane switches, printed circuit boards (PCBs), and more.
Conclusion
In conclusion, flake silver powder and spherical silver powder are two types of silver powder, with distinct characteristics and applications. Flake silver powder has a larger particle size, higher specific surface area, and is used in various industries such as electronics, photovoltaics, and automotive. Spherical silver powder has a regular spherical structure, lower specific surface area, and is mainly used in the production of conductive inks. Understanding the differences between flake silver powder and spherical silver powder is essential in selecting the right material for specific applications.
