No matter what type of material you use, it will likely face some form of corrosion. To reduce the overall affect, companies send the components to be applied with some form of protection. In doing so, they increase the overall life span of the product while diligently decreasing the costs of maintenance and replacement. This usually involves the overlaying of the substrate metal with some sort of protective coating. In some cases, plating is the answer. In many instances, the preferred method to fight corrosion is powder coatings.
Factors in Selecting the Right Powder Coatings
If you plan finishing a product, it is very important to know how to select the right coating. When it comes to choosing the ideal powder coatings for your parts, it is important to consider the following:
- Carefully consider the usage of the part
- Identify the type of corrosion the component is most prone to
- Look closely at the environment in which the part will function
This will help you to identify what type of powder coatings will act most effectively against the specific conditions and kind of corrosion.
Five General Types of Corrosion
Professionals in the business consider corrosion to fall into five general types. These are:
1. Galvanic
2. Stress cracking
3. General
4. Localized
5. Caustic agent
It is very important to know the possible types of corrosion a component will be exposed to before recommending a specific powder coating. The type of corrosion a component will face plays a major role in determining the coating and how it will be applied. In some instances, the finishing company may recommend plating over powder coatings based on the determined environmental factors.
Powder Coatings: Application
The process of applying powder coatings consists of several steps. The metal substrate surface is first cleaned thoroughly. After this, the operator applies a dry powder to the substrate surface. The powder may fall into any of the following types:
- Acrylic
- Epoxy
- Nylon
- Polyester
- Urethane
- Vinyl
The now coated part is heated. Operators may use any of the four methods or techniques to accomplish this:
1. Fluidized bed process
2. Electrostatic bed process
3. Electrostatic spray process – the most commonly utilized method
4. Plasma spray process
This fuses the powder, creating a continuous and smooth film. The result is a smoothly coated product with corrosion resistant properties.
Powder Coatings
The process of using a powder coating instead of plating has been part of the protective measures available to manufactures for more than 40 years. Although the youngest form of applying protective coatings, it has become a steadfast method of finishing off a product. While powder coatings may not be as popular as other methods of finishing, they do offer a viable alternative that is affordable and effective.
