Metallic powder coating provide enhanced color opportunities in the marketplace.

Metallic finishes have a luster and brilliance that sets them apart from finishes produced by conventional pigments. For many applications, a metallic effect is highly desirable and can be achieved by adding aluminum, gold bronze or pearlescent pigments. While it is relatively easy to incorporate such pigments into liquid systems, the situation is much more difficult for powder coating. Various problems associated with the manufacture of metallic powder coatings and some solutions will be discussed.

The powder coating market has grown considerably over the last 20 years. The current market is reported to be in excess of 1.76 billion pounds. Europe still has the lion’s share with about 45%, while the North American and Asian markets continue to grow. Although metallic powder coating represent a small percentage of this total, they play a significant part in providing enhanced color opportunities in the marketplace.

However, collecting and re-using the overspray has caused specific problems with regard to metallic finishes.