More and more brands are launching
Mechanical Keyboard products with DIY elements. Just talking about the small component of keycaps, there are a lot of things to pay attention to. Keycaps have different shapes and designs, but the main difference lies in the material. The main keycap materials in mechanical keyboards are ABS plastic, POM plastic and PBT materials, as well as nylon, silicone, etc. Friends who often use keyboards have probably encountered this problem: the surface of keyboards that have been used for a long time is mostly shiny and slippery to use. This kind of surface polishing phenomenon of keycaps caused by long-term and frequent use is called "polishing". The reason is the long-term and high-frequency use or the material of the keycaps.
1 ABS keycap
ABS is the most common keycap material and is one of the five major synthetic resins. It has excellent impact resistance, heat resistance, low temperature resistance, chemical resistance and electrical properties. It also has the characteristics of easy processing, stable product size and good surface gloss. It is easy to paint and color, and can also be surface sprayed. Secondary processing such as metal, electroplating, welding, hot pressing and bonding.
Most keyboard keycaps on the market are made of ABS engineering plastic. This material has slightly lower hardness and therefore poor wear resistance. Some high-end brands use other materials to avoid oiling as much as possible. The strong plasticity reduces the difficulty of processing, and the soft texture can provide a good finger touch, but the disadvantage is also obvious, that is, poor wear resistance. Therefore, after long-term and high-frequency use, the phenomenon we often call oiling occurs.
Although ABS keycaps are easy to oil, there are still high-end keyboards made of ABS material. Spraying a layer of wear-resistant material on ABS keycaps can greatly reduce the chance of oiling. Currently, Filco is better at doing this. In addition, some brands also use the piano paint process, such as the keycaps of the RAZER Black Widow Ultimate Edition keyboard, but the reflectivity and wear resistance of this surface are average.
2 PBT keycaps
PBT is a more expensive wireless keyboard gaming material. Its chemical name is polybutylene terephthalate, and its English name is polybutylene terephthalate (PBT for short). It has high heat resistance, toughness, fatigue resistance, self-lubrication, and low friction. . Resistant to hot water, alkalis, acids and oils, PBT is one of the toughest engineering thermoplastic materials. It is a semi-crystalline material with very good chemical stability, mechanical strength, electrical insulation properties and thermal stability. These materials have good stability over a wide range of environmental conditions.
The wear resistance of the keycaps made of PBT is quite good. Its high wear resistance can even be reflected on the keyboard without oiling for a long time, which is also loved by many experienced players. With such a strong hardness, it will feel slightly harder, but when it is stained with patterns, the color reproduction is high and it is not easy to fade. Its inherent light color is more suitable for processing white and other keyboards.
3 POM keycaps
POM is an extremely wear-resistant Gaming RGB keyboard material with good physical, mechanical and chemical properties, especially excellent friction resistance. It is commonly known as Saigang or Durangang and is the third most common plastic. POM material is the most expensive of the three materials and is very suitable for making keycaps. The harder texture can maintain the original surface for a long time without being worn or slippery. However, the relatively single color limits the range of choices, and it is difficult for POM to meet the color requirements of white and light colors. Therefore, POM materials appear mostly in black on mechanical keyboards. Of course, the higher cost also points to high-end products with higher prices.
4 Summary
POM keycaps are becoming increasingly rare. Most of the Gaming mechanical keyboards on the market use ABS keycaps or PBT keycaps. When the price difference is not too big, try to choose PBT keycaps. Compared with ABS, PBT keycaps have strong playability. The PBT material can maintain the shape of the object in boiling water at 100° high temperature. Its material determines that it reduces the difficulty when playing with personalization and infects the rear keys. The color of the cap can be maintained for a long time without fading. Regardless of the material of the keycaps, anti-oil characteristics and DIY perspective, PBT far exceeds ABS keycaps in all aspects, so PBT keycaps are more recommended.
