<VV> history of powder coating

[Western Canada CORSA]

We invested in a Caswell DIY powdercoating system.  It has saved us a TON of
dough, it has literally paid for itself several times over, and we haven't
even had it a year yet.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Regards,
Joel

-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
[mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of chris mann
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 7:28 PM
To: Virtual Vairs
Subject: <VV> history of powder coating


I came across this and thought it would be nice to share with my Corvair
buddies...

The
concept of applying an organic polymer in powder form can be traced to the
late 1940s and early 1950s when powders were flame sprayed on metallic
substrates. During this time Dr. Erwin Gemmer, a German scientist, developed
the fluidized bed application for thermoplastic resins on metal as a more
efficient and faster alternative to flame spraying. Here the powder is
placed in a container with a porous bottom and air is blown into it so the
powder mix is suspended in the air and turns into a fluid-like state.

 
Between 1958 and 1965, virtually all powder
coatings were applied by the fluidized bed process. Most applications were
functional in nature providing film thickness of 6-20 mils (around 150-500
microns). These thick film applications were generally for electrical
insulation, as well as for corrosion and abrasion resistant purposes.
Coating materials consisted of nylon 11, CAB, polyethylene, plasticized PVC,
polyester, and chlorinated polyether, among others. However, thermoset
epoxies (dicycandimide, or anhydride-cured) also began to make an appearance
during this period. Typical applications included dishwasher baskets (PVC),
motor iron insulation (epoxy), marine hardware (nylon), and metal furniture
(PVC, CAB), to name a few.In 1960, Pieter g. de Lange, a scientist in
Amsterdam, began to research non-polluting, environmentally friendly
industrial coatings that could compete with traditional liquid coatings. He
focused on substitution of solvents with air, which led him to the
development of thermoset powder coatings. He sought suitable solid resins,
hardeners, pigments, etc. and blended them together in dry form. The blend
was then ground to a suitable particle size. The fluidization technique used
for fluidized bed coating was used to create a "liquid" state in the
material. Electrostatic spray techniques were then adapted from wet paint
applications.

 
The commercial use of the electrostatic powder
spray (EPS) process was introduced in the U.S. and Europe around 1962 to
1964. EPS offered two major advantages. First, substrates could be coated
cold (no preheat). Secondly, the film thickness could be reduced to 2 mils
(50 microns). EPS is the most commonly used application in the powder
coatings industry today.

 
As powder coated finishes continued to gain
further acceptance, other issues involving coatings were coming to light in
Europe. These issues would affect the way the industry, as a whole, would
progress through the 1970s and into the present.

 
Source:

The Powder Coating Institute, "Powder Coating. The Complete Finisher's
Handbook", Third Edition, 2004 
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