The Basics of Powder Coating

Powder coating is basically a wet paint application process utilized on metal surfaces mainly to protect them from rusting. In its dry form powder coating is applied as wet powder over an electrically charged metallic surface, and then cured with high pressure and heat. It is very popular for giving high quality finishes both in terms of appearance and performance. This type of coating can be used on steel, aluminum, copper, fiberglass and many other materials where protection is necessary but at the same time aesthetics must also be taken into consideration.

There are different types of powder coating systems available in the market. These systems employ either electrical or physical methods for applying the coating on a metal surface. The electrical method uses electric charges which excite the powder particles to adhere to the metal surface, while the physical method uses a combination of physical and electronic methods to bond the powder onto the metal surface. Both types of application process can produce good outcomes though there is some difference in the speed with which they coat the metals. For fast production times and reduced cost most of the companies prefer to use the electrical method.

Many of the modern industrial applications make use of powder coating. The most popular powder coatings are the paint finishes like flat, gloss, rust and gold finish. These finishes are applied over aluminum alloys, steel and fiberglass by using a specially designed spray gun. There are many other types of powder coatings like wet paints, oil paints and latex paints and they too deliver similar outcomes.