If you are looking into powder coating, you’ve probably already heard about its superior durability. But what does “superior durability” really mean in this context? How long does powder coating actually last?
As a powder coating service in Washington, we have clients coming to us with this question a lot. As with any type of coating, it’s difficult to know specifically how long a certain project will last “in the field”, but done correctly, powder coated surfaces should give you years of performance. So, to help better answer some questions, let’s look at a few of these variables.
Pre-treating
If you want to get the most life out of your powder coating, it is essential that you pre-treat your surface properly before powder coating. If you pre-treat your surface poorly or not at all, you will find that your powder coating will quickly and easily have adverse effects and not perform the way you would want. At Powder Vision, Inc., we employ a thorough pre-treating process. We can strip/sandblast any existing coating and corrosion and clean the bare metal. This helps aid the powder coating to properly adhere to the surface, ensuring the longevity of the finished coating.
Environment
We typically don’t need to worry about severe humidity or weather conditions here in the Pacific Northwest. But certain parts of the country do need to keep this in mind when a finish of any type is considered. Over time severe weather conditions could cause adverse effects on the powder coating. This is why the proper pre-treatment is so important prior to powder coating. Whether it’s sandblasting, phosphate washing, applying a primer coat or a combination there of, Powder Vision can do all this in our facility.
Types of powder coating
As with any surface coating, the end usage of the piece(s) being powder coated would dictate the type of powder chemistry that should be used. Below are the different chemistries.
- Polyester:
Polyester is the most commonly used powder coating type. They offer great flexibility and impact resistance. It’s a great “go to” because it can be used for indoors or outdoor application. A huge selection of colors, gloss levels and special effect are available. - Polyurethanes:
Polyurethane is a slight step up from polyester in hardness because of a different curing agent used. But they don’t have the mechanical flexibility of polyester. Polyurethane does have better chemical resistance than polyester though. Great for outdoor or indoor applications. - Epoxy:
Epoxies are very durable and offer great chemical and corrosion resistance. The drawback on epoxies is they don’t weather well. Best to use in an indoor application or as a primer under a topcoat. - Super Durable Polyesters:
These offer superior durability over standard polyesters. They are designed to hold their color and gloss over a longer period of time. They also provide better humidity and corrosion resistance. Great for indoor or outdoor applications.
If you want to get the most life out of your powder coating project, keeping these variables in mind will help. However, the best way to guarantee that your project is done correctly is to have a professional powder coating service in Washington do the work for you. At Powder Vision Inc., we specialize in industrial and retail powder coating. To learn how we can help you, just call us today!