How NSI Gels are Made - Part 1
The backbone of gel chemistry is the urethane acrylate oligomer.
In formulations of UV cured materials, urethane acrylate oligomers offer superior toughness and scratch resistance. The same urethane acrylates used in nail gel technology are also used in automotive clear coats, bowling alleys and gymnasium floors because of their abrasion, chip and scratch resistance.
Step 1: Choosing the Raw Materials
Starting with quality raw materials is essential when making any chemical nail product. In this case, we need to start out with a quality base oligomer. NSI has set specifications (standards and criteria that the product must possess to be considered acceptable for use) when purchasing oligomers. These specifications are verified by a Certificate of Analysis, produced by the raw material manufacturer, which confirms test results for a specific base of material.
After choosing the base oligomer, additives are needed to give the gel unique characteristics exclusive to NSI. Examples of some additives are Dimethacylate Monomers, diluents, and photo intiative enhancers. The addition of these raw materials can affect the clarity of the gel, cure time, etc.
NSI also has set specifications for the additives we choose. An important factor to consider is the purity of the additive. Chemical raw materials are not all 100% pure, meaning that some traces of other chemicals are present. Raw material manufacturers test the purity and offer different grades of a product.
The purity, or grade, of a product can be better visualized by using the graph below. In this example, the raw material should be made up of two main ingredients. This first graph shows a sample of the material that is 99% pure. The two longest columns represent the main ingredients and the tiny columns represent trace ingredients that are present in the material (impurities). These trace ingredients are so slight that the working properties of the material would not be affected by them. The second graph shows the same chemical (made up of the two main ingredients) that is not as pure. More trace ingredients are found and in higher concentrations.
The higher the purity, the higher the quality of the raw material. NSI purchases our raw materials at the highest levels of purity necessary for our application.
Step 3: Testing of Formulation
Once the raw materials are chosen, the NSI lab can produce the desired formulation. This formulation has to be tested for many different properties including:
• Viscosity
• Toughness
• Scratch resistance
• Shine
• Photoinitiation to ensure the proper depth of cure
After the formulation has been tested, it is tweaked to produce the ultimate results. Tweaking a formula refers to changing/adding diluents (additives). For example, using different kinds of monomers in a gel formula can affect the viscosity, workability, shine and adhesion of the product.
In How NSI Gels are Made: Part 2, we’ll take the finalized formula and see the steps it goes through before getting to the nail technician in the salon.