DetailingWiki Newsletter
    Get free and automatic updates on new articles
    We respect your privacy. No data is used for anything other than sending the newsletter!

    Advertisement

What is powdercoating

Written by:

Powdercoating is a paint technique. Instead of spraying the liquid paint on a surface, and let it cure. A powder is sprayed over a surface and baked the cure. Powdercoating is very popular for coating wheels with paint.

Contents

Why powdercoating

A powdercoat is different to the common way to spraypaint a surface when working with vehicles. Spraypaint consists out of coloring agents, carriers, polymers and some solvents if not waterbased. This requires the liquid paint to be sprayed over a surface, and left to cure. Sometimes under a heatsource. Powdercoating is often done to paint wheels, given the strength by powdercoating. It is also easier to cover small holes and tight corners to create a more evenly covered finish. Powdercoating also has certain downsides which makes it not very suitable for painted entire body panels.

How powdercoating is done

Powdercoating consists out of a thermoplastic or a thermoset polymer with a coloring agent, this powder is given an electric charge while spraying. The object is given a negative charge, causing the powdercoat to be attracted to the surface. After the object is covered, it is put inside an oven where an indirect heatsource causes the ceramic powder to melt and fuse together, bonding with the surface underneath. After cooling it turns into a very hard surface, covering the object.

Benefits of powdercoat

Apart from a different way of application, it has certain benefits that make it very suitable for specific goals.

  • Powdercoats are very hard, harder then regular automotive paint
  • Powdercoats can withstand various amounts of acidic and alkaline liquids
  • It is easier to evenly cover an uneven surface, or and object with small crevices and sharp lines
  • Powdercoats don’t require a transparent clear coat
  • Oxidation and corrosion is much less an issue with powdercoat
  • Powdercoating don’t contain any solvents (making it VOC compliant)
  • Powdercoatings are generally thicker then normal paint
  • Many different paint effect (like chromatic, fluorescent etc) are much easier to achieve then with regular paint

Downsides of powdercoat

Although powdercoating offers certain specific properties, it can also have certain downsides that make it not suitable for use on particular objects or in certain situations.

  • Powdercoating is not easily fixed when it is chipped or severly damaged
  • Powdercoats require more effort to correct, polishing wheels is often more labour intesive then body panels
  • It requires an oven, which means the object needs to be able to withstand high temperatures for prolonged time
  • Powdercoats suffer from more orange peel then regular paintwork
  • It can be more expensive to do, depending on quantity, size and preperation
  • Removing powdercoat requires a very labor intensive process, or a heavy chemically process

Different related articles

  • The best leather cleaner
    Detailing Miscellaneous
    It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: "what is the best leather cleaner". Off course there is a difference between certain products and brands, but it is important to know what you are asking. In this guide I will try to explain what the problem is with this question unless it is asked more in-depth....
  • What is refractive index
    Detailing Miscellaneous
    The refractive index is a way of measuring how lights behaves through a certain medium. This number gives an indication of how light reacts and how light is reflected. Manufacturers use (among other things) this as an indication of how light is reflected by a protective product and how that will make the surface look....
  • Hikari Co
    Manufacturers
    Hikari is a Japanese manufacturer of vehicle coatings. Although they focus most on automobile, they also offer products aimed at boats, houses and solar panels. The company has roughly 20 countries where their products are exported to....
  • The Kevin Brown Method: General overview and recapitulation
    Correction
    When removing paint defects, like scratches or water spot etching, the Kevin Brown Method uses a Finishing Polish instead of the traditional heavy-cut compound. This is done via a combination with a microfiber polishing pad and a random orbital polisher....
  • What is sheeting
    Detailing Miscellaneous
    Sheeting is a particular form of water behavior. Thanks to the interaction between a liquid and a surface, sheeting can occur. This means that the water glides off the surface like a big "sheet" of water. There are a few different things at play that cause sheeting, but it is a popular effect that protective layer can give....
  • What is an applicator
    Correction
    Applicators are products that are used to spread, apply, rub or buff a certain product to a certain surface. These can also be referred to as an applicator pad. There are many several differen shapes, sizes and material that are used for this....

Links to this article

This article currently has one link

Sidebar



Stay up to date with our free newsletter
Always be the first to know about new updates, articles and other informative content.
Don't miss out, opt in!
We respect your privacy. No data is used for anything other than sending the newsletter!