How Powder Coating Works

Powder coating is a dry finishing process that uses finely ground particles of pigment and resin that are electrostatically charged and sprayed onto electrically grounded parts. The charged powder particles adhere to the part and are held there until melted and fused into a uniform coating in a curing oven.Since its introduction more than 40 years ago, powder coating has grown in popularity and is now used by many manufacturers of common household and industrial products. In North America, it is estimated that more than 5,000 finishers apply powder to produce high-quality, durable finishes on a wide variety of products.

Powder coated finishes resist scratches, corrosion, abrasion, chemicals and detergents, and the process can cut costs, improve efficiency and facilitate compliance with environmental regulationsBecause powder coating materials contain no solvents, the process emits negligible, if any, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere. It requires no venting, filtering or solvent recovery systems such as those needed for liquid finishing operations. Exhaust air from the powder booth can be safely returned to the coating room, and less oven air is exhausted to the outside, making powder coating a safe, clean finishing alternative and saving considerable energy and cost.

Theoretically, 100 percent of the powder over-spray can be recovered and reused. Even with some loss in the collection filtering systems and on part hangers, powder utilization can be very high. Over-sprayed powder can be reclaimed by a recovery unit and returned to a feed hopper for re-circulation through the system. The waste that results can typically be disposed of easily and economically.