Hybrid Powder Coating vs. Liquid Paint

Dare to Compare: Hybrid Powder Coatings vs. Liquid Paint

Hybrid or epoxy-based powder coatings are designed for adhesion, chemical and corrosion resistance, but are not recommended for exterior, open-air environments. Prolonged exposure to UV light can cause them to fade, chalk or degrade on the surface after a few months. This makes hybrids/epoxies better suited to indoor applications, whereas polyester powder coatings excel in exterior applications. 

Hybrid Powder Coatings vs Liquid Paint in Interior Applications

When comparing coating options, the specific type of coating needed is often driven by project requirements such as durability, substrate, temperature exposure, and dry time. 

Powder coating advantages:

  • Powder coating is highly durable in comparison to regular paint. It strongly adheres to metal surfaces, is extremely flexible, offers excellent hardness and strong chemical and corrosion resistance
  • Powder coating only needs one coat of powder to be applied effectively
  • Once the product is out of the oven, it’s ready to use, so waiting time is dramatically reduced
  • Powders often cure at lower temperatures than liquid architectural coatings, which means a reduced energy bill
  • Powder can be reclaimed and recycled, which can result in up to a 95% utilization rate. That can save a lot of money in the long run
  • Because of this reclaiming ability and an extremely low level of harmful VOCs, powder coating is a better option for the environment and for the health and safety of coating operators/technicians

     

Liquid Coating Advantages

  • Parts with heat sensitive material such as rubber cannot be put into an oven, or melting will occur. In these cases, liquid coating is the only option. 
  • Liquid coatings have no sizing constraint, where powder coatings require large parts fit into the curing oven 
  • Equipment required to spray liquid coatings is typically less expensive than equipment required to spray powder coatings (including the oven) 

Also, of note is that many primers are epoxies due to their adhesion strength and rust resistance. Since they do not handle weathering conditions well, their use as a pre-coat underneath another powder coating type to utilizes their strengths while covering their weaknesses. 

Powder coatings contain no solvents and release little or no volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the atmosphere. This means there is no need for finishers to buy costly pollution control equipment and companies can comply more easily and economically with environmental regulations. There is no need to remove hazardous solvents and there is no sludge or waste to remove – reducing cost and improving production time. 

We hope this information was helpful and welcome your comments to compare Hybrid Powder Coatings vs Liquid Paint in Interior Applications. 

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