Powder Coating on Aluminum

The best powder coating often depends on the specifics of your project. You can choose from several powder coatings, including epoxy, polyester and fluoropolymer. Whichever you choose should have the strengths and unique characteristics to succeed within your working environment. 

For example, epoxy coatings offer impressive strength against chemicals and corrosion, although they are limited to indoor use. Polyester, however, has a lower resistance to chemicals but offers a low cure time, which makes it extremely useful for outdoor applications in the sun. Finding the balance between what they can and can’t do is key to finding the perfect coating. 

Powder coating services are high-quality and cost-effective. Pricing often varies from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on several factors such as the project size, quantity of parts and any prep work required. It’s important to speak with a professional to better understand how much your powder-coated aluminum project will cost. 

With the right maintenance and care, a powder coating will typically last between 15 and 20 years. However, depending on the type of coating and treatment process, this length of time can easily stretch to over 40 years. Powder coatings are extremely resilient additions to aluminum materials and provide durable protection against weather, chemicals, corrosion and much more. 

Yes, you can successfully paint over powder coatings. While these coatings are highly durable, professionals often paint over their coatings to touch up their materials after noticing scratches, fading or stains that can occur over time.

Spraying and brushing thin layers are viable strategies to apply paint evenly across a surface. Before getting started, cleaning the area to remove dirt, grease, moisture and other contaminants is a good idea. For products with chipping, you may need to use a sandblaster to prepare the area. 

Powder coating is available in almost every color you can imagine, including black, white, silver, brown, yellow, green, blue, purple and many others. Remember that atypical colors will require a custom order, which will likely extend your project timeline. 

When selecting colors, you should also consider the texture and gloss of your desired color. These factors will change how your materials appear during use. 

Powder coatings offer impressive resistance to abrasion, chemicals, vibration, humidity, weather and more. Despite their strength, they remain susceptible to damage from certain risks, such as: 

• Salt water 
• Sunlight 
• Weather 
• Temperature and humidity
• Cleaning products