White silicone and plastic products: consumer preferences and production challenges

As a manufacturer of silicone and plastic products, we can customize products in various colors according to customer needs, as long as the customer provides us with the Pantone color number. Sometimes, we receive questions from customers such as, can you produce white or transparent products? Is there an additional charge?

Through this blog, we will explore why many buyers like white or transparent silicone plastic products, and what difficulties manufacturers face in making such products, and why sellers increase the unit price for white products.

1.Why are white parts so popular in the market?

• Visual aesthetics and universality

White can adapt to various design styles and scene requirements due to its pure and simple visual effects. In the fields of silicone mobile phone cases, home appliance accessories, daily necessities, etc., white will not overshadow the main feature, but can enhance the "high-end feel" of the product. For example, white silicone tableware has become the first choice of young consumers because it fits the Nordic style and minimalist home style.

• Psychological hints and safety perception

White is often associated with "cleanliness" and "health", especially in maternal and child products and food contact products (such as silicone bottles and lunch boxes), consumers tend to choose white to reduce concerns about chemical residues. Studies have shown that white silicone products are more likely to gain user trust due to the intuitive display of material transparency.

• Practicality and dirt-resistant advantages

Compared with dark-colored products, white is more resistant to visible stains (such as fingerprints and water stains) and is easier to maintain in actual use. For example, a white silicone leather table mat can be restored to cleanliness by just wiping it, avoiding the problem of dark-colored materials easily leaving marks.

• Promotion of environmental protection trend

White silicone material does not require dyes, which meets the environmental protection requirements of the European and American markets for "no dye added", while white plastic can also meet circular economy standards by using food-grade virgin materials.

2.Technical challenges for manufacturers

• Raw material sensitivity and purity control

Impurity coloring problem: White has extremely high requirements for raw material purity. Trace impurities (such as 0.01% oil or metal ions) can cause local yellowing or spots. For example, if the silicone is not stirred evenly during mixing, a "cloudy" color difference is likely to appear

after vulcanization.

Risk of whitening agent ratio: Plastic products rely on whitening agents such as titanium dioxide. Excessive use will reduce the toughness of the material and cause cracking; insufficient use will appear gray and dark, and the addition range must be precisely controlled to 5%-8%.

• The rigor of the production process

Temperature and pressure control: White silicone injection molding requires the mold temperature to be stabilized at 160-180℃. A deviation of more than 5℃ will result in matte surface or white spots of crystals. Excessive temperature during plastic injection

molding will cause material decomposition and yellowing.

Mold cleanliness requirements: If there is 0.1mm of old material or mold release agent left in the mold, visible stains will form on the white product, and it needs to be thoroughly cleaned every 3-5 molds.

• Defect Amplification Effect

Minor defects become more obvious: White will amplify problems such as flash (burrs) and weld marks during injection molding. For example,

if the exhaust is insufficient during liquid silicone encapsulation, the bubble defect detection rate on white products is 40% higher than that on black products.

Post-processing becomes more difficult: white plastic parts are prone to scratches when polished, and ultrasonic polishing is required; if the tool accuracy is insufficient when deburring silicone products, "black line" pollution will occur.

• Dual pressures of environmental protection and cost

Wastewater treatment cost: The concentration of suspended solids in white plastic washing wastewater is twice that of ordinary production, and a flocculation and filtration process needs to be added.

Low recycling rate: White recycled materials are easily mixed with impurities, and the degradation rate exceeds 60%, while transparent or black materials can cover up defects by adding masterbatch.

In addition, we also learned about some economic and market factors, such as:

1. Niche market demand

White PC hardware belongs to a niche market, and the smaller production scale leads to higher unit cost distribution.

Manufacturers need to invest additional resources to develop exclusive color schemes and cannot reduce costs through mass production.

2. "Fashion tax" pricing strategy

Manufacturers take advantage of consumers' preference for white themes and charge a premium (usually 10-35% higher) for similar products.