Epoxy Powder Coating vs. Traditional Paint: Which is the Better Choice?
Metals are one of the very commonly visible substances in our day-to-day lives. They make our life easy and can help us get our jobs done easily. They exhibit physical and chemical properties that make them get worn off easier than other substances. Metal reactions with chemical substances are called tarnish. Hence, it becomes a task to prevent them from getting significantly tarnished because they are almost so omnipresent.
Ways to prevent metals from tarnishing:
- Using an anti-tarnish spray: Anti-tarnish spray is a liquid that prevents metal and alloys which results in the ease of cleaning.
- Electroplating: A thin layer of metal like chromium or nickel is deposited in the substrate metal in an electrolyte bath.
- Powder Coating: It is a dry paint consisting of resin particles which are electrostatically charged and sprayed on a surface preferably metals.
- Paint the Metal: Painting the metal provides an extra layer to resist moisture from reaching the metal.
- Galvanizing: It coats iron or steel in a layer of zinc to protect it from rust. Zinc corrodes slower than iron or steel, which is why it is more resistant to moisture.
The idea behind coating metals is providing an extra layer that delays tarnish or prevents chemical reactions that otherwise directly comes in contact with the metals. We will see two of the ways in detail; painting and powder-coating and see which is more promising.
Painting the metal
Painting is a great way to provide an extra surface to the metal to delay the process of eventual corrosion. Painting the metal can be very household friendly as it does not require much work or equipment. Painting guarantees higher durability than the existing metal state because of the addition of a layer. Some ways to prevent metal from corrosion can be very scientific and equipment-based which people might not want to undertake. They also might prefer something readily available to protect the metal as and when they see the corrosion.
Powder-coating
Powder coating a dry coating process used as a metal finish mostly on industrial equipment. It is ideal because it repels corrosive materials like chemicals, and water. It can be done in two ways; electrostatic method and fluid bed method.
Both electrostatic method and fluid bed method require heating. The molecules in the powder melt to form a decorative coating.
Electrostatic method: Electrostatic method requires spraying the powder with the help of a spray gun on a preheated surface before it is sent for curing.
Fluid bed method: This method requires a preheated metal to be dipped into a fluid bed of powder which is then sent for curing.
Epoxy powder-coating
Epoxy coating is a type of powder coating. It is made from a polymer that contains epoxide groups. Epoxy powder coating is ideal for small scale applications. It is mainly used to provide extreme resistance from chipping or peeling.
The advantage of epoxy powder coating is that it can withstand extreme temperatures better than ordinary powder coatings. If you want quality coating services then get services from epoxy powder coating manufacturers. Disadvantage of epoxy powder coating is that it requires multiple coats to achieve the desired result which might be a little time consuming.
Which is better – Epoxy or Painting?
The major difference between epoxy powder coating and painting the metal is that painting requires less time then epoxy powder coating. However, painting is less effective when it comes to resistance against corrosion and the desired finish to the metal. Painting the metal can come handy as it is cost-effective and works for a designated time even if for a short period of time.
By summing up the results, we achieve the conclusion that it is the purpose that decides which is a better way to coat metals. When it comes to finishing and an even application, epoxy powder coating is much better than painting because it is operated by a machine. Whereas, painting is a good alternative when it comes to an instant application that requires the metal to be protected for the time being.
