If you’re interested in taking on a powder coating job for a project, but are unfamiliar with the processes involved with it, you might be wondering what types of powder coatings there are. There are certainly a variety, and each of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. You’ll need to consider the kind of coating you use based on the results you’re looking for and the substrate material that’s being coated.
Here’s a quick overview of some of the types of powder coating paints in Washington and what you should know about them:
- Polyester: Polyester provides excellent adhesion and gloss retention, even when given long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation. This property is why you’ll so frequently find it used for items that will be primarily outdoors, including fencing, garden and lawn furniture and various types of outdoor decorative items. It makes sense, because polyester coating helps these items hold up to weathering and UV exposure.
- Epoxy: Epoxy coatings provide a very smooth and uniform appearance and, like polyester, give some excellent adhesion. Epoxy provides a better chemical and corrosion resistance than what you might get out of your average polyester coating, but it is not nearly as capable of withstanding long-term UV exposure. In fact, overexposure to UV radiation can result in the gloss losing its sheen, and the finish starting to chalk over time. This is why epoxy powder coating is better reserved for indoor products.
- Polyurethane: Polyurethane powder finishing is performed for items that can be either decorative or functional with exterior exposure. It has very strong abilities to hold up to weathering, including anti-corrosion properties, humidity resistance and resistance to numerous oils and chemicals.
- Nylon: Nylon powder coating is typically done to add protective coatings to products to give them strong resistance to solvents, oils and impact/abrasion damage. A primer will generally need to be used during the process of nylon powder coating to make sure the substance is able to achieve its maximum performance capabilities.
- Metallic: Metallic coatings are available in many different varieties. They are coatings that have metallic particles added into the powder’s chemistry to give them some attractive properties. They offer the strength and durability found in many of these other types of coatings, but some extra unique aesthetic qualities as well.
- Hybrid: You can find blends of polyester and epoxy resins known as hybrids that offer outstanding chemical and corrosion resistance, flexibility and smoothness. Hybrids will generally be used for indoor applications, as they do not have the full weather resistance that you’d get out of a pure polyester coating.
These are just a few examples of some of the types of powder coatings you can choose from for your next project. For more information about the various types of powder coating paints in Washington and how to use them, we encourage you to contact the team at Powder Vision Inc. today. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about the services we provide, and look forward to discussing your project!