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powder coatings
Makers of the largest, most complete line of fluoropolymer coatings in the world
What is powder coating? The most common resins used in powder
coatings are polyester, polyester-epoxy,
Simply stated, powder coating is the pro- straight epoxy, and acrylics. These materials
cess of coating a surface with a powdered have a broad spectrum of uses and are avail-
material (as opposed to a liquid). able from various suppliers. In contrast, Whit-
Powder coating materials are comprised ford offers a number of specialized powder
of polymeric resins (and often additives and coatings with outstanding properties — in-
pigments) that have been reduced to small cluding excellent release and resistance to
particles with an average diameter of 25 to 90 high temperatures — for use in particularly
microns. The main difference between powder demanding applications.
and conventional liquid coatings is that pow- Since their inception in the 1960s, powder
der coatings are applied in the form of free- coatings have gained acceptance on a vast
flowing powders, whereas liquid coatings array of metal parts, both consumer and in-
require water or an organic solvent to keep dustrial. Common applications include auto-
the resin in the form of a suspension. motive components such as body panels and
The great advantage of powder coatings oil filters, architectural items such as alu-
is that they can be applied with almost zero minum columns and window frames, and ma-
environmental problems. The application terial handling products such as valves and
processes for powder coatings are essentially pipes in the chemical processing industry.
mechanical and thermal — there are no VOC- How to apply them
bearing effluents or wash-down solutions to
clean up. In addition, the application methods Powder coatings are normally applied in
are relatively inexpensive. one of two ways — either by fluidized bed or
by electrostatic spray.
Both thermoplastic and thermosetting
resins are available as powder coatings. 1. Fluidized bed: Preheated parts are
dipped into a bed of powder that is made
• A thermoplastic powder coating melts
fluid-like by small streams of air arising from
when it is heated for a second (and subse-
beneath the powder. As the fluidized powder
quent) time. Examples of thermoplastics in-
comes into contact with the heated part, it
clude polyethylene, polypropylene and nylon.
melts and fuses to the surface of the part. The
• A thermosetting powder coating does coated parts are placed back in an oven for
not melt after curing. Examples include epoxy, the final flow-out of the powder.
polyester, acrylic and
PPS. When these resins Fluidized bed
are cured, a chemical
cross-linking reaction is
triggered, which gives
the coating many of its
desirable properties.
Many powder-coating
materials adhere to
metallic substrates with-
out the use of primers.
But resins such as fluo-
ropolymers require the
use of a separate primer Air enters here
Air passes through vents, Powder adheres,
layer to ensure adhesion “liquifying” powder, fusing to heated part
under pressure causing it to rise
to the substrate.
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This technique requires little equipment to run, drip, or sag.
other than the bed, a source of air, and a Overall coating thickness can be built to
means of heating the parts. A variation of this maximum levels allowed by the resin without
technique is to apply a negative electrostatic fear of blistering. In general, powder-coated
charge to the powder which draws the pow- parts are more resistant to cracking, peeling,
der particles to the part via electrostatic at- and marring during handling and normal use.
traction. Thicker coatings also tend to be tougher and
2. Electrostatic spray: An electrostatic more durable and are particularly useful on
charge brings the particles and the part to- corrosion-prone applications where thicker
gether. One benefit is that the parts are coatings provide added protection. They also
coated uniformly — even on the back side of help cover small surface defects such as
the part — because the attraction between sharp edges, dimples, and machining marks.
the powder and the part is uniform, all around As a result, some secondary machining oper-
the part. Then the part is heated so that the ations, such as polishing, grinding, or debur-
powder melts, fusing to the part surface. ring may be eliminated.
2. Advantages in deep-well applications:
This is the application method of choice
Powder coatings can be advantageous when
for coating many parts at once, or when the
applied to parts that have recesses and de-
coating thickness needs to be controlled.
pressions (see page 7). Using the fluidized-
bed method of application,
Electrostatic spray powder coatings can be applied
almost evenly to channels, key-
Spray gun
ways, holes and other recesses.
No other application method re-
sults in coatings as uniform and
blister-free in these areas. This is
because coating thickness de-
Electrostatic pends primarily on the heat in the
charge part, not on electrostatic attrac-
tion or how well volatile carriers
Air/powder input are driven off, as is the case with
Powder surrounds
part, attracted liquid coatings.
Power supply electrostatically
3. Easier to use: Cleanup is
Diagram of typical electrostatic powder application process. greatly simplified with powders.
Cleanup of liquid coatings often
Advantages vs liquid coatings requires stripping agents and solvents that
must be discarded. In contrast, a powder
Powder coatings offer several advantages booth or spray area can be cleaned up by
over liquid coatings in terms of performance, simply vacuuming the powder overspray.
ease and efficiency of use, cost, and environ-
mental concerns. 4. More efficient: If the powder overspray
is not contaminated, it can be collected and
1. Better performance from higher film recycled (liquid coatings cannot), so it is pos-
thickness: Powder coatings provide the same sible to use nearly 100 percent of the coating
level of corrosion, wear protection, and re-
material.
lease as their liquid counterparts — if applied
at the same film thickness. However, in com- 5. Low capital investment: Many of the ad-
parison to liquid coatings, powders make vantages of powder coatings lie in what they
thicker films possible because they tend not enable users to avoid. For instance, powder
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coatings do not require investment in expen- ing, it is important to ensure that the fusing
sive cleanup and effluent monitoring systems. temperature of the powder is compatible with
In addition, far less wastewater is generated, the temperature resistance of the substrate.
resulting in fewer problems and expenses as-
sociated with waste disposal. When to specify powder
6. Cost savings in operations: The savings Powder coatings are particularly well
in energy, labor, rework, material, line efficien- suited to applications where thicker films are
cy, waste disposal, air processing, and clean- desirable because of their increased durabil-
up can be substantial compared to liquids. ity and resistance to corrosion.
7. More environmentally friendly: Powders 1. Thick-films: Powder coatings are ideal
enable the elimination of solvents and haz- for applications where thick liquid coatings of
ardous wastes. Unless the coatings are acci- similar properties would ordinarily have been
dentally overheated during the fusing pro- specified, but where VOCs are unacceptable.
cess, powder coatings emit zero or near- zero Also, powder coatings should be considered
VOCs during the coating process. when the necessary buildup of film thickness
with liquids may result in blistering.
Drawbacks vs liquid coatings
2. Corrosion: Powder coatings are applied
Not all advantages, however, lie on the to retard or eliminate corrosion in many indus-
side of powder. Liquid coatings are often pre- trial applications.
ferred because of their ability to form thin films
Corrosion is an electrochemical process
or to be cured at lower temperatures.
with three components: a cathode, an anode,
1. Liquids are well suited to thin coatings: and an electrolyte, and there are many cir-
Thinner coatings are advantageous in many cumstances in which all are present. Common
applications, particularly on small mechanical examples include metal parts used in or near
parts where assembly or operations would be sea water or acid solutions; parts made from
impeded by a coating that is thicker than dissimilar metals that are joined together; and
about 38 microns (1.5+ mils). vibrating parts that are tightly pressed to-
2. Higher fusing temperatures: Liquid coat- gether. Specific examples include compo-
ings fuse through drying and curing, in which nents of CPI systems such as valves, pipes,
the volatile carriers are driven off by heat, hangers, unions, joints, filters, and housings
leaving only the solids behind. Volatile compo- for motors and pumps.
nents can be removed over a wide range of The key to protecting these parts is total
temperatures, from about 65˚-370˚C (150˚- encapsulation of the surface, which can be
700°F), in a time/temperature relationship. So ensured by applying the coating in multiple
some liquid systems can be processed at low layers, if possible. The reason is that, in any
temperatures and still incorporate high-melt- single coating layer, small voids or pin holes
ing components into the cured coating. can serve as an electrolytic path for corro-
On the other hand, a powder coating such sives. Multiple coating layers can eliminate
as PFA must reach its specific melt tempera- essentially all of these voids by overlapping
ture before it can flow and fuse. Yet some fu- them (see diagram next page).
sion temperatures are incompatible with 3. Durability: This is a common require-
certain substrate materials. For instance, fus- ment in applications where frequent contact is
ing a die-cast part at 370°C (700°F) is likely to made with the coated surface. For example,
produce eruptions from subsurface voids. the surfaces of equipment used for materials-
Also, forged aluminum parts should not be handling, packaging, sealing, molds, under-
fused above 205˚C (400°F) because they may body parts of vehicles, stone crushing,
soften. Thus, when selecting a powder coat- pulpwood, grain processing, and building ma-
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heating “profile”. If an oven is set at a tem-
Two coats to avoid corrosion perature of 205°C (400°F), the real oven
Topcoat/ temperature may be 215°C (420°F) in the
Second coat Prime/
First coat
Pin holes
Substrate upper-left corner and 185°C (365°F) in the
lower-right corner, which can damage the
quality of finished coatings if the profile is
not known. For instance, parts in one sec-
tion of the oven might be withdrawn before
fusing is complete or, conversely, could be-
come overheated and burned or blistered.
Overlapping layers of the topcoat fill in and cover Therefore, prior to long production runs, a
any minute pin holes in the prime coat.
thermal profile of the oven should be obtained
terials can often be eroded by the materials in order to enable adjustment of, or compen-
that are being processed. Given enough time, sation for, temperature imbalances.
these surfaces can be completely destroyed
by the materials passing over them. Thick • Processing temperatures: The process-
films of certain powder coatings can slow ing (curing or fusing) temperature in the oven
down this process. Although a powder coat- depends on the resin used. Many polymers
ing may not stop the erosion entirely, it is likely can be cured in the range of 160°-210°C
to prolong the life of parts that are used in (320°-410°F); however, certain high-perfor-
these environments. mance resins such as fluoropolymers require
processing temperatures in the range of 300°-
4. Release: Liquid coatings are often pre-
400°C (600-750°F). How this heat is applied to
ferred for release applications, although fluo-
the part depends on the size of the part, its
roplastic powder coatings are frequently used
composition and shape, as well as the num-
when extra durability is required. For example,
ber of units to be coated. Large, thick items,
powder coatings are specified on a number of
such as castings, tend to be fused in convec-
paper-handling and mold surfaces where
tion ovens where heat is supplied remotely,
long-lasting release is critical to the process.
via gas or electric heaters. Small parts, such
Other examples include slides and chutes for
as stampings and small wrought parts tend to
printing equipment and wear surfaces of xero-
be cured by banks of IR heaters.
graphic equipment.
Makers of the largest, most complete line of fluoropolymer coatings in the world
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EXPERIENCE OF WHITFORD CORPORATION. NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY IS MADE, HOWEVER, CON-
CERNING THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PUBLICATION. WHIT-
FORD CORPORATION MAKES NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR
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PORATION SHALL IN NO EVENT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.
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