In the LED lighting mirror industry, the material of glass is one of the determining factors affecting price. At present, the RAM team uses three types of materials in the production of mirrors: aluminum mirrors, copper free mirrors, and tempered mirrors. These three types of mirrors have significant differences in craftsmanship, imaging, and price. Let's delve into the differences through this article.
1. Differences in craftsmanship
| Type | Core process | Key steps |
| Aluminum mirror | Vacuum evaporated aluminum layer | Glass cleaning → Vacuum aluminum plating (aluminum wire evaporation) → Coating protective paint (usually single-layer) → Drying and curing |
| Copper free silver mirror | Chemical silver plating+copper removal process | Glass cleaning → sensitization treatment → chemical silver plating (silver ammonia solution reduction) → no copper layer → double-layer protective paint (copper mirrors need to be plated with copper to prevent oxidation, skip this step for copper mirrors) → drying |
| Tempered glass | Coating before tempering or tempering before coating (process selection affects performance and cost) | Process route 1 (mainstream): Float glass → Coating (aluminum/silver) → Coating with protective paint → Tempering treatment (700 ℃ high-temperature quenching) Process route 2: Float glass → Tempering → Coating (requires special equipment, high cost) |
2. Comparison of imaging quality
| Type | Reflectivity | Color reproduction | Definition | Visual perception |
| Aluminum mirror | 86%~90% | Slightly greenish/gray (aluminum layer characteristics) | Good, but the edges may be slightly blurry | Cool color tone, suitable for daily use |
| Copper free silver mirror | 92%~96% | Neutral colorless (silver layer optical advantage) | Extremely high, distortion free | Close to real colors, strong high-end feel |
| Tempered glass | Depends on the coating material | Same as aluminum mirror or silver mirror (depending on the substrate coating) | Possible slight deformation (caused by tempering stress) | If aluminum plating is done, it tends to be cold, while silver plating is neutral |
3. Corrosion resistance and durability
| Type | Moisture resistance | Corrosion resistance | Lifetime | Weakness |
| Aluminum mirror | Poor | Weak (aluminum is prone to oxidation) | 2-5 years (prone to blackening in humid environments) | After the protective paint is damaged, it quickly oxidizes and turns black |
| Copper free silver mirror | Excellent | Strong (multi-layer protective paint isolates corrosive media) | Over 10 years | After the protective paint is damaged, the silver layer may sulfide and turn yellow (but it is much better than traditional copper mirrors) |
| Tempered glass | Depends on the coating | Same aluminum or silver mirror | Same coating material+tempered steel lifespan | The adhesion of the tempered coating may decrease (it is easy to peel off when the process is not mature) |
4. Price cost comparison
| Type | Raw material cost | Process cost Comprehensiv | Comprehensive cost | Terminal premium space |
| Aluminum mirror | Lowest (aluminum price is low) | Low (simple process) | Minimum | Low (mass market) |
| Copper free silver mirror | High (silver+special protective paint) | High (complex silver plating process, high environmental requirements) | Highest | High end (high-end home/commercial scene) |
| Tempered glass | Medium high (high energy consumption for tempering) | High (large investment in tempering equipment) | Medium high | Medium to high (security attribute premium) |