Powder coating is largely preferred because of its versatility and ability to create appealing surface finishes. Other than finishing metal products superbly with a professional finish, powder coating is lauded for being environmentally friendly. These are the qualities that make powder coating the green choice in finishing.
Fewer VOCs Means No Air Pollution
Unlike liquid coatings, powder coatings don’t require solvents in their formulation. As such, they have negligible volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Powder coatings do not release harmful VOCs such as formaldehyde in the air, which can deplete the ozone layer and cause untold health issues to the workers nearby. This makes professional powder coating an eco-friendly process and a favorite for many manufacturers. Compared to liquid coatings that release a fair amount of VOCs to the air, powder coatings are safer and also more durable.
Manufacturers who rely on powder coating for the surface finish of their products are more compliant to the national environmental protection standards. This is because powder coating is regarded as non-toxic, which means that there are no airborne pollutants that cause harm to the environment, and your factory workers as well.
Powder Coating Is Energy Efficient
Both liquid coating and powder coating takes place inside a spraying booth that is fitted with an efficient filtration system. Because liquid coating releases harmful VOCs in the air, you not only have to filter the air inside the booth but also duct it to the outside atmosphere. Given that powder coating does not produce toxic elements, it is not necessary to duct the air in the spraying booths to the outside atmosphere. As long as the overspray powder is properly filtered, the air in the booth is good enough for the workers to breathe. As a result, you do not have to use extra energy to channel the air from the booth to the outside atmosphere. Additionally, the curing process of powder-coated products is fast and less energy is used.
Powder Coating Is More Sustainable
The powder coating process is less complicated and utilizes few resources. Once you set up the booth, and you have an electrostatically charged powder gun, you are good to go. This is unlike liquid coating, where you have to establish a waste disposal system to get rid of the harmful solvents. Powder coating is inert and, therefore, doesn’t need special handling or disposal. As a result, you can use one booth to spray many products without having to stop to dispose of any waste, or worrying about exposing your workers to harmful chemical compounds.
Additionally, it is easier to do a retouch with powder coating if you detect a flaw in a powder-coated part. You can easily use compressed air to fix the uncured powder and reapply it correctly. If you had to do the same with liquid coating, it would take extensive and costly works, and you would still have the extra responsibility of disposing of the solvents. This makes powder coating a more sustainable and eco-friendly process, as it uses up fewer resources to achieve a professional finish.
Excess Powder Can Be Recycled
Even though the electrostatically charged spray guns are effective in surface finishing, there are still instances of excess sprayed powder. Overspray can be collected and reused through powder reclamation. Instead of using additional resources and time to dispose of the excess powder as waste, you can collect the powder and reuse it. This means you can minimize the wastage in powder coating and increase your productivity. If you used liquid coating, you cannot recycle the excess paint that drips to the floor. The fact that you can collect and recycle the overspray means that you will use up less powder in your overall operations.
Today, manufacturers are looking to adopt more eco-friendly practices in their finishing operations. Powder coating is the green choice in finishing, given the many environmental benefits, it brings forth. For the best powder coating in Richmond, CA, you should trust the reputable professional finishers.