Why Is There A Ball Inside A Spray Paint Can? – Detailed Answer

You must have always read the ”direction to use” section given over the back cover of the spray paint, it says that “shake well before use”, right? Well, there is great science behind it but it’s quite simple to understand.

Tag along and find out why it is necessary to shake the spray before you use it.

Why Is There A Ball Inside A Spray Paint Can

Why Is There A Ball Inside A Spray Paint Can

Spray paint can is made up of liquified gas and liquid paint so that when the nozzle is pressed the gas carries paint particles along with it. But as the gas is lighter than liquid, it rises up in the can while the liquid paint settles at the bottom.

In this scenario the metal or marble bead is placed inside the can so when the can is shaken up this metal or marble bead mixes up the liquefied gas with the liquid paint and makes it ready to get discharged from the nozzle easily.

Now you must be thinking about why the presence of gas is important in the can. Well, if the manufacturers won’t add liquified gas into the can the liquid paint would not be able to move out of the dip tube and out of the nozzle due to its high viscosity. Thus it is important to add liquified gas with the liquid paint so that the light particles of gas carry paint particles along with it easily.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does spray paint stay shaken?

A spray paint stays shaken up for around 24 hours. If you use it after 24 hours then it would be necessary to shake up the spray paint can.

Why won’t my spray can spray?

If there is still paint inside the can and it is not working then there must be a blockage in the nozzle of the spray paint. You can open up the nozzle hole with the help of a pin.

How long does spray paint take to dry?

The dryness of the paint varies from brand to brand as each brand has its own viscosity of the paint. But on average the spray paint dries up in 2 to 3 hours. After that, you can recoat your project.

Final Remarks

Before you use the spray paint it is necessary to shake the spray can so that the particles move out freely without any friction. For this purpose, metal bead rattles inside the spray can and mixes up the liquified gas with the liquid paint. If you don’t shake the spray can before use, the paint won’t move out of the nozzle smoothly.


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