Go Green With Powder Coating

 

Powder coating is truly a “green” technology that is viewed with favor in comparison to many other finishing techniques.

Conventional liquid paints typically contain solvents. As a result, the painting and curing processes generate air pollution. In some cases, a very large portion of solvent exists in the paint itself and the paint finishing process is cited as a direct cause of ozone depletion. Because of concerns over the impact of conventional wet paints on the atmosphere, many agencies are now compelling wet paint finishers to transition to “waterborne” paints that do not emit the large volume of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) during the painting and curing processes. These new paints have not been enthusiastically received, due in part to the perception that the finish they offer is not particularly durable.

Unlike the issues facing liquid paint finishers, powder coating shops are finding code compliance problems to be much less of a burden. When applied and cured in a responsible, professional manner, powder coating finishes are compliant with all environmental regulations. Powder coating media does not contain any solvents. When being applied it is considered a “nuisance dust” that poses little or no threat. The powder curing process releases only negligible amounts of VOCs into the atmosphere, and powder coating media from reputable powder suppliers generates no incidental hazardous waste. Conventional wet painting processes that use solvent-based paints can generate a hazardous sludge. This material must be rendered inert or disposed of as hazardous waste. Both solutions can be costly.

Wet paint overspray must be ducted to the outside atmosphere, but powder coating overspray can be removed from the exhaust air by filters. This allows a shop to safely return the air being cycled through the coating enclosure back to the shop atmosphere–instead of venting it outside. This benefit alone can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year in heating and cooling costs. Almost all of the powder overspray that does not adhere to the items being powder coated can be trapped in filters or harvested and reused. This reduces waste and minimizes environmental impact. When performed in a normal manner, powder coating generates practically no air pollution at all.