WHAT IS POWDER COATING?
Basically, powder coating is paint. However, it is possibly the greatest
advancement in the coatings industry since Columbus because of its durability and
elimination of solvents. The
paint comes to us in a powder form rather than a liquid, and is a two component curing system
like an epoxy .
That is, it comes to the painter as a box of dry powder, very much like flour.
It is applied to the parts with a
charge of about 80,000
volts of static electricity, which causes it to be attracted to the
parts, which have to be grounded . The powder clings to the parts like pieces of paper on a comb
until the parts go into the curing oven. At the curing temperature, which can vary from 2500 to 500o depending on the chemistry, the powder melts
into a liquid, at which time a catalyst is released, causing the cure to take place.
After 10 minutes to an hour, depending on several variables, the coating is
fully cured and ready for packaging as soon as it cools. Powder coatings
are available in several chemistries, including epoxies, polyesters, urethanes,
hybrids, and specialty finishes like Nylon, Teflon, etc., for use inside and
outside. It also comes in a high temperature coating that will
withstand up to 12000, but in
limited colors.
Key Benefits over liquid paints.
- Extremely tough and flexible--like a plastic film.
- More consistent in thickness.
- No solvents emitted, polluting the environment.
- Good but not great color choices.
- Comparable costs to liquid paints, if not less.