Low Temp Curing Powders?

[Guest]

Does anyone have any experience with low temp curing powders? I hear that using epoxy and an acid / low 130degree temp you can cure these powders ... anyone have experience with them? Are they still too new?

Does anyone sell them? Or have any info about how they are applied, etc?

WHOLE NEW WORLD of applications if this stuff is good. think of all the plastic wheel center caps, sideview mirrors, interior trim, (other things that are plastic and not automotive related that i cant even imagine)
Thanks

[CRAVED]

Re: Low Temp Curing Powders?

i've used the low temp clear from EW

looks good, works well.

but it cant handle engine parts. it bubbles the coating when used in a relatively high temp location.

[Guest]

Re: Low Temp Curing Powders?

I'd be interested in this as well, it'd be cool to get a hold of some very low temp powders. It seems that none of the smaller quantity suppliers carry anything with a lower cure temp than 340 deg F.

[DxC]

Re: Low Temp Curing Powders?

i guess its really too new for the small custom powder suppliers to have.

i know that the large OEM powder coating applications have similar things already.

NASA is testing some products too but - i guess its too new for us humble normal people

[benwish]

Re: Low Temp Curing Powders?

Low curring Temp powder is on the market since 5-6 years, not really new.
It uses a pre-accelerated resin and additional curring agents to cure anywhere from 280-320F, 15-20 min.
Because of the acceleration is doesn't flow out as nice as regular temp powder. Orangepeel is a problem.
The biggest problem is its stability.
Shelf life is about 4 weeks from manufactoring under climate controlled conditions (Keep it in a freezer and you get another 2 weeks). Shipping that stuff in the summer is close to impossible. One hot day in a UPS truck and you have a nice brick of paint when it arrives.

Even these low temp powders are not low enough to paint wood. Thats the holy grail right now. DuPont has a low gloss white which cures at 240F (it looks like sandpaper) but it is not ready for marketing.
Give it another 2-3 years and there might be something new.

B

[DxC]

hey

hey im not talking about the "low temp powders" that only cure around 250 degrees ... im talking 130 degrees ... there have been SIGNIFICANT advances in technology already ... but i guess it just hasnt come to market

here is a link where they talk about UV light curable powders - http://www.powdercoating.org/wood/content.htm

heres a link to some NASA research - http://www.teerm.nasa.gov/projects/LowT ... tings.html

[benwish]

Re: hey

... im talking 130 degrees ...

Yepp i know, these are Urethane-Acrylate resins for UV-curable Powder Coatings.
Around 50-90$/lb, but you only need 1.2-1.4 mils to cover
There are UV powders to buy, but the problem is, they are not really practical right now. They coat in europe 2-dimenional sheets for walls, inside cans or even drums with it. I saw a 155F full cure line runing in Holland.
As soon as you have a more complex part, you run into trouble: The UV light does not reach everywhere on the part, there are shadows and not all areas can be reached with the UV-gun: the game is over = no cure.
I read last year in one of the NASA articals about a test run, and the Hazmat guys had a field day. They where one line short of declaring this stuff exlosive because of its reactivity.

Most of the work which is done by the big resin manufactors is right now aimed at the MDF market. They don't target small/smaller applications, there is just not enough money to make.

Give it time, it will come (at least i have two lab projects working on it).

B