TCI Powder Coatings Blog

Streaks, Spots, Solution? Problem:   The pretreated part appears to have streaks and spots, but I thought I did everything right. How do I get rid of them or stop this from happening? Origins/ Causes:   There are several reasons that these spots and streaks could begin appearing. Here is a handy list of just a few of the causes: Soils are not being efficiently removed Parts are not fully rinsed, or the rinse is contaminated Drying off of the coating is occurring between stages The phosphate coating weight is too low Solutions:   If… It seems that the soils are not being removed, you may need to test the cleaning stage. This means that you should determine if the proper choice of chemicals and process conditions have been chosen (remember: acid conditions clean inorganic soils and alkaline conditions clean organic soils) The parts are not fully rinsed or there is contamination, orient the pars for maximum coverage. Also, clean and adj...

What To Do When Parts are Being Picky: Little or No Adhesion Problem:   For some reason, little or none of the coating seems to be adhering to the part. What should I do to fix this. Origin/ Cause:   In most cases, coating will fail to adhere due to excess soils. Solution:   First, check that all soils have been identified. Next, test all of the stages. Determine if the proper choices of chemical and process have been chosen in order to remove all soils. Lastly, orient the parts for the maximum amount of coverage and clean, and adjust the spray pressure for maximum part coverage. Throughout the process, be sure to maintain high rinse tank purity. For additional information on powder coatings, visit our website at tcipowder.com . Feel free to Contact us today to have someone with our experienced team answer your powder coating questions or to see how we can help you with your powder coating needs.

What it is, When it's Good to Go, and How it's Measured     What is Grounding?   Grounding is providing a sufficient path for the flow of electrical charge from the object to the ground. An adequate path allows the charge to dissipate faster than the speed at which the charge is accepted to the part. NFPA 77 states the electrical resistance of such a leakage path may be as low as 1 Mega Ohm, but as high as 10,000 Mega Ohms, and still provide an adequate path. For powder coatings specifically, 1 Mega Ohm or less is used as working ground to ensure proper discharge. An ungrounded part will accept some voltage and attract some charged powder, but at some point it will begin to repel the charged material. Smaller parts will show these effects more quickly than larger parts. Some difficulties related to poor grounding are: Halos around hooks Inability to penetrate Faraday areas (fields generated inhibiting electrostatic application, mass of parti...

What You Should Know About Combustion Nobody likes thinking about possible combustion or ignition risks. Yet, it is very important to be aware of these risks and take precaution when handling powder coating and curing equipment. To keep you safe, we’d like to supply you with two helpful lists. See the chart below for a visual representation.   Elements That Should Be… Controlled Powder to Air mixture: keep powder concentration outside the explosion (flammability) limits Compressed air supply Booth air flow Sparks from poor grounds     Eliminated Electrical equipment Matches Cigarettes How to Control Powder to Air Mixtures... Engineered powder systems Quality spray guns Exaggerated powder output Size of openings NFPA and OSHA exhaust guidelines System expansion factors Reduced efficiency factors For additional information on TCI’s powder coatings, visit tcipowder.com . For more on powder coating hazards and safety, click...

Safety Issues During the Powder Coating Process Handling of Powder Coatings Our last blog post provided readers with details on hazards, protective practices, and safety measures. For your safety as an end user, we would like to remind you of a few additional precautions and safety tips. Read the material safety data sheets (MSDS) Available on TCI’s website: Link to the website where to get them: https://msds.tcipowder.com/tds.aspx   Avoid excessive skin exposure Wear proper respiratory equipment Wear proper clothing and eyewear Fire Risk Powder coating is very different than everyday painting, not just in form, but also in quality. One of the most hazardous differences about powder coating is that users may be exposed to heat and flame. Here are some things to keep in mind when working with powder coating materials and curing ovens. Maintain a safe concentration of powder in air-outside the explosion (flammability) limits Eliminate any sources of ignition ...

Hazards, Protection, and Safety TCI Powder Coatings strives to provide our customers with ample information so that you can get the best use and superior results from our products. More importantly, we also hope to ensure that our products are used in a safe and effective manner so that you may maintain a secure environment. The safety of our staff as well as our customers is extremely important to us. Although our website includes a user manual and troubleshooting guide, we want to extend a reminder to you that every organization should examine and develop their own coating operation, safety program, and specified procedures. Health Hazards of Powder Coating Materials All chemical manufacturers, according to the OSHA, must evaluate chemicals produced and determine if they are hazardous based on: Carcinogens Toxins Irritants Danger to human organs Flammability Explosiveness Reactivity This information is available to workers in the ma...