Non-Metal Products

Originally powder coatings were applied as metal finishing coatings only. However with the development of powder that can be applied and cured at low temperatures, the market has opened to heat sensitive substrates such as plastics and wood.

Radiation curing (UV or electron beam) allows the curing of powder on heat sensitive substrates by reducing the curing temperature to below 121°C. Ongoing development has been devoted to formulating powders that can cure at temperatures below 100°C without compromising durability or quality.

Powder coating on wood is growing significantly. By developing powders with reduced heat requirements and by developing a uniform density wood product, wood manufacturers and their customers are now able to powder coat a wide range of wood products. Manufacturers of home-office furniture, kitchen cabinets, children's furniture, and outdoor grill tables are discovering that powder coating makes these "hard-use" products retain their new look much longer.

One of the biggest breakthrough in the wood market is the use of engineered wood materials such as medium density fiberboard (MDF). MDF is very suitable for powder coating because of its low porosity and homogeneous surface. Curing of powder on MDF can be accomplished by infrared, or UV light in conjunction with infrared or convection ovens.