Bag-On-Valve (BOV) and conventional spray technologies are the two dominant aerosol misting solutions in today's marketplace, playing a critical role in personal care, household cleaning, automotive maintenance and more. As consumer demand continues to rise and product innovation accelerates, choosing the right misting technology is critical to the success or failure of an organization.
In this blog, we will focus on the difference between these two technologies and their advantages and disadvantages, to help you fully understand their characteristics, to choose the optimal solution for your products.
What is conventional spray technology?
Definition and working principle
Conventional spray technology is a method which uses pressure to atomize a liquid or semi-liquid product and spray it out of a tank. The core principle is to mix the product with a propellant, and when a valve is activated, high pressure inside the tank forces the mixture out of tiny nozzles to form tiny droplets or bubbles. What makes this technology unique is its simple and efficient design.
Components of a Conventional Aerosol Can
A standard conventional aerosol can includes the following components:
Canister: Typically made of aluminum or tinplate, it houses the product and propellant.
Valve: Regulates the dispensing of the product and generally consists of a stem, seat, and spring.
Nozzle: Shapes and sizes the spray, available as atomizing or foam nozzles.
Propellant: Usually a liquefied gas, like propane or butane, providing the necessary pressure to spray.
Product: The liquid or semi-liquid being dispensed, such as deodorants, detergents, or lubricants.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of conventional spray technology include:
Lower Cost: The mature technology results in relatively low production costs.
Wide Range of Applications: Suitable for various products, including liquids, emulsions, and gels.
Ease of Use: Simply press the valve to spray, ensuring straightforward operation.
However, there are also disadvantages:
Poor Product Stability: Direct mixture of product and propellant can lead to reactions or stratification, affecting performance.
Uneven Spraying: Difficulties in controlling the product-propellant ratio can result in inconsistent spraying and waste.
Environmental Pollution: Many traditional propellants are chemicals that may contribute to environmental pollution upon discharge.
Large Residual Amount: After the propellant is depleted, a significant amount of product often remains in the tank, leading to waste.
What is Bag-on-Valve (BOV) technology?
Definition and working principle
Bag-on-Valve (BOV) technology is an innovative aerosol spray packaging solution. Its core principle is to separate the product from the propellant. The product is packed in a soft plastic bag or aluminum foil bag, and the bag's opening is connected to the valve. The whole bag is placed in a tank, which is filled with compressed air or nitrogen as a propellant. When the valve is pressed, the propellant squeezes the bag and sprays the product out of the valve.
The working principle of BOV technology can be summarized in the following steps:
Place the bag with the product in the tank and connect the bag opening to the valve.
Fill the tank with compressed air or nitrogen as a propellant.
When the valve is pressed, the propellant squeezes the bag, and the product is squeezed out of the bag and sprayed out of the valve.
As the product continues to spray, the bag gradually shrinks until all the product is sprayed.
Composition of BOV aerosol cans
A typical BOV aerosol can consists of the following parts:
Can body: usually made of aluminum or tinplate, used to hold bags and propellants.
Bags: made of plastic or aluminum foil, used to hold products, connected to valves.
Valve: controls the injection of products, usually including valve stems, valve seats, springs and other components.
Nozzle: determines the shape and size of the injection, such as atomizing nozzles, foam nozzles, etc.
Propellant: usually compressed air or nitrogen, providing the pressure required to squeeze the bag.
Differences between BOV and traditional spray technology
Compared with traditional spray technology, BOV technology has the following significant advantages:
Product and propellant separation: BOV technology completely separates the product from the propellant, avoiding the reaction or stratification problems that may be caused by direct contact between the two and effectively ensuring the stability and purity of the product.
More thorough product injection: Since the propellant continuously squeezes the bag, the BOV aerosol can can achieve a product spray empty rate of more than 99%, significantly reducing product residue and waste.
Multi-directional spray: BOV aerosol cans can be used at any angle, and can work normally even when inverted, making them more flexible and convenient to use.
More environmentally friendly: BOV technology usually uses clean and pollution-free compressed air or nitrogen as propellant, does not contain chemical ingredients, and is more environmentally friendly.
Wide range of applications: BOV technology has low requirements on product viscosity, foaming properties and other characteristics, and is suitable for more types of products.
Advantages of BOV over traditional spray technology
Enhance product integrity and extend shelf life
The most significant advantage of BOV technology is that the separation of product and propellant effectively protects the product from contamination and degradation. For products with fine formulas and high purity requirements, such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, BOV technology can maintain the original performance and quality of the product to the maximum extent and extend the shelf life.
According to statistics, the shelf life of products using BOV technology can be extended by 30% to 50%, greatly reducing returns and losses due to product deterioration.
Environmentally friendly and non-flammable propellant
Traditional aerosol sprays mostly use flammable hydrocarbons such as butane and propane as propellants, which pose certain safety risks. BOV technology usually uses clean and pollution-free compressed air or nitrogen as propellant, which is safe and environmentally friendly and avoids the inclusion of chemicals in the product.
According to estimates, the carbon footprint of a can of BOV products is about 60% lower than that of traditional aerosol cans. More and more environmentally friendly companies are beginning to favor BOV technology.
Excellent product ejection and conveying performance
Another major advantage of BOV technology is the excellent spray air rate. Since the airbag is continuously squeezed by the propellant, the product can be ejected almost 100%, greatly reducing residual waste.
The BOV aerosol can can also achieve multi-angle spraying and can work normally even if it is turned upside down, giving users a more convenient and smoother experience. In addition, BOV's spray noise is smaller, the spray is more uniform, and there is no need to press repeatedly.
Diversity of product types and packaging
BOV technology has a wide range of adaptability to product dosage forms, from low-viscosity liquids to high-viscosity gels and pastes, and is perfectly compatible. This provides greater scope for product diversification.
In terms of packaging design, BOV aerosol cans can use various can types, valves and nozzles to achieve personalized product customization and enhance brand recognition and appeal.
Improve user experience and security
The many advantages brought by BOV technology ultimately converge on the improvement of user experience. Purer products, smoother spray, and safer and more environmentally friendly formulas are all creating higher value for consumers. Taking the medical field as an example, the application of BOV technology in wound treatment sprays has fully demonstrated its superiority. In traditional sprays, mixing of product with propellant can introduce contamination. Under BOV technology, pharmaceuticals are completely sealed in sterile bags, maintaining sterility throughout the entire process from production to use.
Application of BOV technology
BOV technology has been widely used in many industries and fields due to its unique advantages. Here are some typical application cases:
Personal care and cosmetics
BOV technology shines in the field of personal care and cosmetics. Common applications include:
Hand sanitizer: BOV packaging can ensure the sterility of the product, avoid cross infection, and is convenient to carry and use.
Skin care spray: BOV technology can ensure the purity and stability of products such as essence and toner, and the spray is more delicate and uniform.
Makeup setting spray: BOV aerosol cans can provide ultra-fine atomization effect, making the setting makeup more natural and lasting.
Dry shampoo spray: BOV technology can achieve precise spraying, which is convenient for local care without getting the hair wet.
Medical products
BOV technology is increasingly used in the medical field, especially for some scenarios with high requirements for drug stability and sterility:
Wound cleaning spray: BOV packaging can ensure the sterility of wound cleaning fluids such as saline, and the spray pressure is moderate, which will not cause secondary damage.
Nasal spray: BOV technology can achieve micro-atomization of the drug solution, so that the drug fully covers the nasal cavity and takes effect faster.
Oral spray: BOV aerosol cans can easily spray the drug solution to various parts of the mouth, especially suitable for treating local lesions such as oral ulcers.
External aerosol: BOV technology can ensure the stability and uniformity of external drugs, and the spray is more delicate and does not irritate the skin.
Food and beverages
BOV technology also has broad application prospects in the field of food and beverages, and some innovative products are constantly emerging:
Edible oil spray: BOV packaging can achieve quantitative spraying of edible oil, control the amount of oil used, and reduce waste.
Alcoholic beverage spray: BOV technology can atomize high-proof alcoholic beverages, making them richer and easier to drink.
Juice spray: BOV aerosol cans can ensure the freshness and nutritional value of juice, and the sprayed juice has a unique taste.
Chocolate spray: BOV technology can atomize chocolate to create a dreamy dessert decoration effect.
Industrial and technical products
BOV technology is also promising in the industrial and technical fields. Some typical applications include:
Precision electronic cleaning agent: BOV packaging can ensure the purity of the cleaning agent, and the spray is more precise without damaging electronic components.
Lubricant spray: BOV technology can atomize lubricants, release agents and other products, spraying more evenly and reducing waste.
Insulation protection spray: BOV aerosol cans can spray insulation materials onto wires, circuit boards and other components to form a protective layer.
Anti-rust and anti-corrosion spray: BOV technology can atomize rust inhibitors, preservatives and other products, spraying more delicately and covering more comprehensively.
Bag-On-Valve (BOV) vs. Convential Spray Technologies: Which to Choose?
When choosing between BOV or Classic Spray Technologies, companies need to consider a number of factors and weigh the pros and cons to make the best decision. Here are some key considerations.
Product Characteristics
BOV technology is particularly suited to applications that require high product purity and stability, such as pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics. These products have stringent requirements for corrosion protection, oxygen barrier, sterility, etc., and BOV technology is well suited to meet these needs. In contrast, for areas with lower requirements for product stability, such as certain daily chemicals and industrial products, traditional spray technology may be a more economical choice.
Life Cycle
BOV technology can significantly extend the shelf life of products and reduce wastage due to spoilage. This is especially beneficial for products with long shelf life requirements and long sales cycles. For products with lower shelf life requirements and quicker turnaround, conventional spray technology may be more cost effective.
Environmentally Sustainable
BOV technology utilizes clean, non-polluting compressed air or nitrogen as the propellant and contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which is in line with increasingly stringent environmental regulations and consumer demand for sustainability. Conventional spray technology uses chemical propellants that may face additional environmental compliance challenges.
User Experience
BOV technology has excellent performance in terms of spray uniformity, multi-angle adaptability, noise control, etc., which can provide consumers with a better user experience and enhance satisfaction and brand loyalty. Conventional spraying technology performs poorly in these areas.
Cost Effectiveness
BOV technology costs more in terms of upfront R&D and equipment investment, but in the long run, its overall benefits in terms of reducing product wastage and improving consumer satisfaction are likely to be higher. Traditional spraying technology has a lower initial cost, but there may be hidden costs associated with high product wastage and environmental pressure.
| Indicator | BOV | Traditional Spray |
| Product stability | Excellent | Fair |
| Environmental friendliness of propellant | Excellent | Poor |
| Airspray rate | ~100% | 50-80% |
| Multi-angle spraying | Support | Not Support |
| Noise | Low | Medium |
| Cost | Medium | Low |
Conclusion
BOV technology is reshaping the aerosol spray industry with its significant advantages in product stability, environmental protection, and user experience. BOV technology is undoubtedly a strategic investment for companies that value product quality and consumer benefits. Weijing, as a pioneer in the field of BOV aerosol filling machine, is committed to providing customers with the most advanced and reliable BOV filling solutions. Choosing Weijing's BOV aerosol filling machine is choosing quality, innovation and excellence!
FAQs
Q: Does BOV technology suit all types of aerosol products?
A: BOV technology is suitable for most liquid and semi-solid products, but for some specialty products (e.g. gases), traditional aerosol technology may be required. Companies should evaluate this based on product characteristics.
Q: Does the use of BOV technology mean higher costs?
A: The upfront cost of BOV aerosol cans (e.g., mold development) will be higher, but in the long run, the product upgrades and competitiveness enhancement it brings will far exceed the cost investment and bring higher business returns.
Q: Are there any industry standards and specifications for BOV technology?
A: BOV technology has been incorporated into the aerosol industry standards of developed countries in Europe and the United States, such as the U.S. CSPA, the European FEA and so on. These standards regulate the design, production and testing of BOV aerosol cans, providing guidance for enterprises.
Q: What are the special requirements for recycling of BOV aerosol cans?
A: BOV aerosol cans are mainly made of aluminum and plastic, and the recycling process is basically the same as for traditional aerosol cans. However, the inner bag material may need to be pre-treated. Companies should work with the waste recycling department to ensure proper recycling and reuse.
Q: What are the viscosity requirements for BOV technology?
A: BOV technology is suitable for products with a wide range of viscosities, from aqueous liquids to pastes. However, for very high viscosity products, optimization of the formulation or valve design may be required.
