Patent ID: 8574473

Claim:
A method for injection molding a part comprising the steps of: providing a mold cavity including a first mold portion comprising a first cavity surface and a second mold portion comprising a second cavity surface, wherein the first and second cavity surfaces define the mold cavity; providing metallic flakes in a molten resin; injecting a gas into the molten resin in a molten state containing the metallic flakes, such that the gas disturbs the metallic flakes in the resin and randomizes orientation of metallic flakes; heating the second mold portion with an electric heater to a temperature greater than 100° C., wherein the electric heater heats different zones of the second cavity surface to different temperatures; injecting the molten state resin and gas at an elevated pressure into the cavity; cooling the mold cavity to form a solid part; and ejecting the solid part from the mold cavity, wherein the gas creates micron-sized voids within the solid part and an outer surface of the solid part is substantially free of defects.