Powder or Paint
THE DECISION
Should I Powder Coat
Or Should I Paint?
In the powder coating vs. painting debate, numerous questions abound. How durable is powder coating? Is powder coating better than painting? The answer could really boil down to which of the two processes best meet the following criteria.
1. Cost Efficiency of Paint and Powder Coating
When economic factors are taken into consideration, the main benefit of the powder-coating process is its efficiency. With a general transfer efficiency of 60–70%, roughly two-thirds of the powder used for a given application serve the intended purpose. Paint, by contrast, has a transfer efficiency of only 30-35%, and thus wastes two-thirds of the paint used for a given application.
Even when you take the leftover amounts into account, all is not lost with powder applications. Once a powder coat has completed, the percentage of powder that falls aside can be collected and put back to use in the next cycle. No such form of conservation is possible with spray paint, which spreads into thin air if it fails to reach its target the first time.
Often, spray paint is more likely to cost less than powder coatings upfront. However, when you consider the loss of product you experience with spray paint, the extra expense may be worth the money. It’s up to you to determine what is manageable for your budget while meeting project demands.
2. Safety of Painting and Powder Coating
Compared to spray painting, powder coating is a safer process because the active product — polymer powder — is inert and therefore free of toxins. Paint, by contrast, usually has toxic solvents and volatile organic compounds that can be harmful if inhaled.
While you do need to wear protective gear when applying powder coats, the process itself is generally cleaner and free of health-related risks. That said, it is crucial to keep the powder from making contact with your skin, but this is easy to achieve thanks to the low amount of overspray that results from the process.
Additionally, paint comes with more storage demands. Spray paint is flammable, so it needs to be kept away from high heat. If you operate in a facility where this storage requirement may be challenging to manage, powder coatings are a better option.
2. Safety of Painting and Powder Coating
Compared to spray painting, powder coating is a safer process because the active product — polymer powder — is inert and therefore free of toxins. Paint, by contrast, usually has toxic solvents and volatile organic compounds that can be harmful if inhaled.
While you do need to wear protective gear when applying powder coats, the process itself is generally cleaner and free of health-related risks. That said, it is crucial to keep the powder from making contact with your skin, but this is easy to achieve thanks to the low amount of overspray that results from the process.
Additionally, paint comes with more storage demands. Spray paint is flammable, so it needs to be kept away from high heat. If you operate in a facility where this storage requirement may be challenging to manage, powder coatings are a better option.
3. Environmental Friendliness of Powder Coating vs. Painting
The eco-friendly advantages of powder extend well beyond the application process itself. Since there are no toxins or volatile organic compounds found in powder polymers, unused portions do not emit greenhouse gases, whether used or unused. Since the majority of a given powder supply ultimately does get put to use, the option is also easy on landfills. To the contrary, each application of spray paint sends toxins into the atmosphere.
4. Mechanical Convenience of Powder Coats vs. Paints
From a mechanical standpoint, powder coats offer greater degrees of strength and flexibility than spray-painted finishes. For starters, a powder finish has a thickness that is stronger and more difficult to crack or peel. Powder finishes are also more bendable, and this makes powder a better option for items that change shape, as well as for anything with moving parts.
The flexibility of powder coats makes powder the ideal option for transportation equipment, which is subject to constant movements and vibrations. Powder-coat finishes have also shown to be more resilient in the face of pebbles, flying debris and other hazards that get kicked up by the tires of a moving vehicle.
While a thick coating is often ideal where durability is concerned, some projects may require a thin coat. Thin outer coatings may be a demand for functionality or aesthetics — in these cases, powder coatings are not the best option. While it’s possible to thin a polymer for powder coating, it typically results in a course bumpy surface.
5. Productivity of Powder Coats and Paints
Powder coats also help speed along the production process thanks to the short time it takes for powder polymers to cure on a surface. Unlike paint, which may need days to fully dry, powder will fully cure in 20 minutes or less. A powder-coated part could ultimately be put to work even before it has cooled down from its time in the oven.
Due to the durability and streak-fee quality of powder coats, the process involved with powder applications is now seen as a necessary skill at production plants, where the process is commonly taught to staff.
If you work in a large facility with extensive project demands and tight timelines, powder coatings make it possible to keep up. When you run a small business with fewer scheduling limitations, spray paint is more likely a plausible option.
6. Color Accessibility of Powder Coats and Paints
When it comes to color-matching, wet paints offer the advantage of showing their final, dry-state colors right from the start. This makes it easier to mix and match paints with greater accuracy and achieve hues that are slightly off the basic color scale.
Any place you turn to for wet paint, the supplier can easily mix primary and secondary colors to achieve the exact match of a required hue. Alternately, the supplier could add black or white into the mix and equal the tint, tone or highlight of a specified color.
By contrast, the blending of powder colors involves a specialized production, in which the hue of a given color relies on the polymers that are broken down to form the powder. Consequently, the hue of a mixed color can be difficult to determine in advance. Unlike liquid paints — which blend properties when mixed — different powders will not coalesce into a pure, uniform color. Instead, a speckled combination of colors will form when powders mix into one.
7. Reliability of Painting vs. Powder Coating
When it comes to metal surfaces, the purpose of a paint or powder finish is twofold. On one hand, the coat is meant to offer aesthetic appeal, especially if the surface is part of a commercial product, such as a home appliance or automobile. More importantly, however, are the protective qualities of paint and powder finishes, which safeguard metal surfaces from the corrosive effects of environmental elements.
If left exposed to water or moisture, metal can develop rust in spots. In the most concentrated of rust-afflicted areas, holes can form within the metal surface. A solid coat of paint or powder prevents these corrosive effects from taking root on the surfaces of metal, but only as long as the finish remains intact. Since powder finishes are stronger and more durable than paint coats, powder will generally guarantee superior, longer-lasting protection to the surfaces of metal-bodied products.
The colors of powder coatings also last longer thanks to the retentive properties of polymers, which mostly resist the chalking effects of moisture, heat and UV rays. Paints, by contrast, slowly undergo a breakdown in resins and fade from prolonged exposure to sunlight, moisture and heat. The powders that offer the best resistance to chalking are those made from polyester.
8. Texture Differences Between Powder Coats and Paints
Each approach is better suited to a different type of texture. While both can help you achieve a glossy finish, it’s much easier to do with liquid paint. Thin powder coats are more textured and will feel a bit like the skin of an orange. The thicker the coat, the smoother the texture.
Depending on which type of finish you’re going for, powder coating and painting will affect the difficulty of the process.
9. Equipment Requirements for Powder Coating vs. Spray Painting
Powder coating requires electrostatic equipment and curing ovens to be effective, and these can be large-scale investments for your operation. For spray paint, all you need is a spraying system and a spot to air dry.
The equipment demands for powder coating can be challenging for smaller businesses. When considering if these purchases are worth the investment, you’ll want to think about the types of projects you work on and if powder coats are better for meeting those project specifications. If the high durability and productivity of these coatings aren’t an absolute necessity, spray painting is an effective option.