octobre 07, 2016

For Powder Coat Los Angeles Is The Way To Go

By Larry Collins


Powder coating as the name suggests is a kind of coating that is applied as a free-flowing powder in dry form. Unlike traditional liquid paints that need a solvent medium to keep them in liquid suspension form, this coating does not need a solvent. The filler and binder parts of the coating remain in dry form. When in need of service companies that specialize in powder coat Los Angeles is the best place to check out.

Application is accomplished using electrostatic means prior to heat curing is done. Heat curing allows the coating to flow and form a skin application on the object or surface it is applied over. The coating that results is tougher in comparison to conventional paints. Thermoplastic and thermoset polymers are the two main forms of powder coats in existence.

As a result of the lack of a liquid carrier, it is possible to achieve thicker applications. The advantage in this method is that the thicker applications can be attained without the coating running or sagging. Another advantage is that it is often difficult to tell areas that are applied using horizontal and vertical applications. One would have to be very keep to notice the different between horizontally- and vertically-applied areas.

The level of emission of volatile organic compounds in powder coating is very low. This is because there is no evaporation of carrier fluid. This makes these coatings more safer and healthier than conventional liquid paints. The use of these coatings also allows for application of several powder colors before finally curing them all together. This allows for color blending and incorporation of special effects within a single layer.

The most powder coatings in existence today have particle sizes that vary in size between 30-50 microns. They have melting and softening temperatures of 150 and 80 degrees Celsius. The ideal temperature for curing is usually 200 degrees Celsius. To attain the best results, curing needs to be done for a period of 10 to 15 minutes. The thickness of the application is the main factor that determines the duration of curing.

The actual powder coating is only done after adequate preparation of the surface. The intention of surface preparation is to remove unwanted materials from the surface. Some of the materials removed include dust, dirt, oil, lubrication greases, metal oxides, and welding scales. The preparation may be done using both chemical and mechanical methods. Which method is used for preparing the surface is usually determined by the size of the substrate and the material it is made out of.

Chemical treatment often entails submerging or spraying the object or surface with phosphates or chromates. Chemical pre-treatments are performed in multiple phases that entail etching, de-smutting, and degreasing. It takes several rinses to chromate or phosphate a substrate. Pre-treating a substrate has two main objectives. The first objective is to clean and the second objective is to enhance the bonding ability between the surface and the coating.

The toxicity of chromates to the environment has prompted better methods for pre-treatment to be developed. In effect, silanes, zirconium, and titanium are now being used to replace chromates. These substances offer the same results while being harmless to the environment.




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