One of the proven types of corrosion protection.
In recent years, there has been a very rapid development of powder coating applications. This technology is gaining popularity while increasing its share in decorating and anti-corrosion protection of various surfaces including everyday products.
We can divide the process and its course into three stages:
1) Pre-treatment – cleaning the component to improve the bonding of the coating with the paint, is carried out by chemical or mechanical method, the choice of method depends on the type and size of the component;
– chemical method – by dipping or spraying – uses chromates or phosphates,
– The mechanical method is sandblasting, abrasion or shotblasting – rather non-intrusive for the surrounding environment.
2) Powder application – covering metal with paint by spraying using a special gun. When applying powder coating, two basic electrification techniques apply
– Electrokinetic spray – triboelectric, frictional method, called “tribo”.
– Electrostatic spray – a high-voltage method of 40…100 kV, commonly known as “corona”.
3) Curing – paint-coated parts are heated to 140…200 °C (390 degrees Farenheit), as a result, the powder is melted and polymerized. The resulting paint coating is resistant to corrosion, chemicals, mechanical damage and high temperatures. Convection, UV, or infrared ovens are used for heating, with an average curing time of approx. 10 minutes.
The advantages of powder coating are:
– Anti-corrosion protection of coated materials,
– High cost-effectiveness due to long service life,
– saving paint – almost 100% utilization of paint material (possibility of recovering un-deposited powder particles),
– smooth surface without convexities, streaks – the resulting coatings perfectly mask the inaccuracies of machining, thanks to their thickness (60…80 μm),
– Protection against mechanical damage and chemical agents,
– The possibility of gloss, satin, matte, etc., depending on the type of paint used,
– significant energy savings due to the possibility of using closed ventilation systems,
– No harmful effects on the environment and humans – no emission of solvents and thinners into the environment,
– high efficiency,
– A variety of colors – this allows you to achieve an aesthetically pleasing, yet decorative appearance of products and protections.
