Aerosol Spray is a dispensing system, the Aerosol Spray creates an aerosol mist of liquid particles. A liquid is contained under pressure in a can or a bottle, ones the spray applicator on top is pressed, the pressure opens the containers valve, the pressure then forces the liquid out through a small hole in which a mist or aerosol is formed and released. Some of the propellant evaporates inside the can as the gas expands to drive out the liquid, this happens to an even pressure is maintained. The droplets of propellant outside the can evaporate very quickly, in turn this leaves the expelled liquid as fine particles. There are many different substances dispensed using this method, some of which are:

• Deodorants


• Paints


• Insecticides


• Cleaning Products

Deodorants are the most common form of Aerosol Spray and are used everyday be people all around the world, The liquid contained inside is usually fragranced and used to spray on the body, the Aerosol Spray is a very effective way for the liquid to be dispersed.

Aerosol Spray Packaging

In the modern day Aerosol Spray Can there are 3 main parts to it, these are the Actuator (Button), the valve and of course the can. The most common material used to manufacture the can is Lacquered Tinplate, This is steel but with a layer of Tin aswell. This is not 1 sheet of metal but usually consists of 2 – 3 pieces of metal, this metal is crimped together to form the can. However this is not the only material that is used, for generally more expensive products Aluminium is used in place of Lacquered Tinplate. It is very important that the valve is crimped to the rig of the can, it is important as this determines the spray rate. The user puts pressure on the actuator and this in turn opens the valve, the spread of the spray is dependent on the shape and size of the actuator.

There is another type of dispensing systems and it is called the Bag-In-Can system (also known as Bag On Valve, BOV). In this type of dispensing system the pressurising agent is kept separate from the product, it is hermetically sealed in a laminated (multi layered) pouch. Because the product is kept away from the pressurising substance it ensures that only pure product is dispensed. The bag- in can system can actually increase a products shelf life and is widely used for sun care products like spray sun cream. It has many benefits like 360 degree dispensing, non chilling and quiet discharge. It can however be used for a lot of other products, for example:

• Industrial Products


• Pharmaceutical Products


• Pet Care Products


• Household Products

Aerosol Spray Health Hazards

Aerosol Cans come with two main health concerns and these are:

• The inhalation of the contained substance (when used to try and achieve a high from the propellant, and some Canned Air do not always use compressed air but sometimes other inert gasses.


• The second health concern is piggybacking or other dangerous particles.