Corrosion is a common problem in today’s world. Whether it is a bridge or an electronic component, corrosion is a serious problem. In an attempt to reduce the problem and ensure their products remain intact, companies send the parts for finishing. While there are several ways of protecting substrate surfaces from the destructive effects of corrosion, including plating, one of the more environmentally responsible and less expensive processes is powder coating. In Michigan, it is easy to locate a finisher to provide this service.
Selecting the Right Powder Coatings
Various materials can prove to be an effective coating resin. However, it is very important to understand the need to make certain the right powder coatings are applied to produce the specified effect. In order to accomplish this, a finisher will look at certain factors. These are:
- The substrate metal comprising the component
- The intended application
- The environment in which the component will perform e.g. interior, exterior, marine, chemical lab
What is also of importance is the type of corrosion the coated component may have to face. If the finisher does not know this, the type of powder coating selected for the job may not prove to be as effective against corrosion as the component requires.
Basic Types of Corrosion
Experts in this field consider corrosion to generally fall into one of six categories or classifications. The list consists of:
- Galvanic: This is an effect of the reaction of two dissimilar metals
- Stress cracking: This type of corrosion refers to cracking that results from the concurrent presence of tensile stress and an explicit corrosive vehicle
- General or uniform: As the most common form of corrosion, the manifestation covers the entire exposed surface gradually reducing the thickness of the metal
- Localized: The name indicates the specificity of the problem. It occurs only in specific spots
- Caustic agent: This could be an acid such as sulfuric acid
- Erosion: This is fast occurring deterioration of the component brought about by the relative movement occurring between a corrosive fluid and the metal surface
Some finishers in Michigan list eight basic corrosive substances. In addition to the above, they may include crevice corrosion, pitting and intergranular corrosion.
Powder Coating
For more than 40 years, finishers in Michigan and other states have been applying powder coatings as a means of protecting components from various issues. Corrosion is one of the more common, damaging and dangerous issues that can reduce the viability, stability and durability of a part and its product. While metal plating may still be more prominent, the growing use of powder coating testifies to their ability to provide effective and inexpensive protection against corrosion in all its manifestations.
