Exterior-weatherable powder coatings: The importance of formula customization
Which binder composition is the best starting point for custom-blended powder coatings? Formulators deal with this question daily as they prepare products for their customers. The most accurate answer may be this: One particular chemistry doesn't stand head and shoulders above all others. This article explains the factors that formulators take into account as they develop exterior-grade powder coatings. The article goes into detail about the chemistry options available.
Some individuals within the powder coating industry believe that one binder system - the system that combines the resin and curing agent to hold the coating together - will meet all of their customers' exterior-grade coating requirements. This isn't so. Powder manufacturers and end users need to be aware that, because of recent advances in technology, no chemistry is the best chemistry and that to provide the best blend of properties for a specific customer, powder manufacturers need to be willing to work with numerous binder compositions and curing agents. Curing agents are chemicals that react with resins and change their chemical structures. Many new exterior-grade curing agents and binder compositions have been introduced into the marketplace, providing formulators with a sometimes confusing array of possibilities to select from to offer end users powder coatings that best meet their specifications.