Powder Coating

From Bike Collectives Wiki

Powder Coating is a great durable alternative to paint, around 10 times stronger. Common applications are exercise equipment and outdoor fixtures such as bike racks, street lamp polls, and signs. Anything that takes a beating and/or is exposed to the elements.

Process

  1. Metal piece is burned and/or sand blasted bare.
  2. Metal is dusted with electro-statically-charged (static electricity) pigmented plastic in powder form.
  3. Metal is put in a large oven, plastic melts, the surface is coated with an ultra durable finish.
  4. Metal is ready for use once it cools, no drying required.

Environmental Pros

  • Powder coatings emit zero or near zero volatile organic compounds (VOC).
  • Powder coating overspray can be recycled and thus it is possible to achieve nearly 100% utilization of the coating.
  • Powder coatings lines produce less hazardous waste than conventional liquid coatings.

References