How specifying powder coatings contributes to sustainable design

The most asked about is a twenty-year color and gloss warranty for coatings that meet and exceed the performance requirements of AAMA 2605. Many powder coating manufacturers will offer a twenty-year color and gloss warranty when applied by a registered applicator to aluminum, and as with equivalent liquid performance coatings, warranties are generally not given for steel substrates. Likewise, warranty on aluminum is dependent on color, for example, bright oranges and reds are very difficult to achieve in 2605 level coatings, and as such are generally not warrantied.

Finishing specification language

There are a whole host of technical and functional benefits in using architectural grade powder coatings, plus the enviable sustainability advantages and array of colors and effects. Adding architectural powder to the project specification is a great way to show demand for a more sustainable product. In fact, specifiers can often be a force of change toward more sustainable products, as including them in the project specification signals demand to the market.

When it comes to specifying powder, there are some slight differences in the specification language to consider. For example, when specifying AAMA 2605 coatings, the current liquid specification probably states something along the lines of two-coat system, containing no less than 70 percent PVDF resin content.” In this instance, a change to the number of coats is needed, as FEVE fluoropolymer powders are a single-coat application and still meet AAMA 2605. Likewise, a clear coat is not required for metallic effects, so the single coat language remains the same even up against three- or four-coat liquid systems. Similarly, if FEVE fluoropolymer powders are used to meet the AAMA 2605 specification, then the resin type and content needs to be updated.

The Powder Coating institute (PCI) has free guide specifications, as do many powder coating manufacturers. There is no need to take liquid out of the project specification—simply add powder in, show demand for the more sustainable product, and most importantly, specify the performance of the coating.

Notes

¹ Read to learn more about ‘grounding’ from Science Direct, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037851731630299X.

² Visit the Powder Coating Institute (PCI) to learn more about powder coatings, www.powdercoating.org/page/EnviroImpact.

Author

Fiona Levin-Smith has worked in architectural powder coatings for 15 years and works at IFS Coatings educating and advising architects, designers, and specifiers on performance powder coatings as a more environmentally responsible choice.