Powder Coating Q&A: Pretreatment for Stainless Steel
What is the requirement for coating stainless steel?
Q. I am working for ELGI Ultra Industries Ltd. as the vendor development manager. I have a requirement for powder coating SS 202 (stainless steel) material and I want to know the process, especially the pretreatment.
A. Stainless steel is chemically inert so there is no good chemical treatment for adhesion of a powder. I suggest you media blast the surface to roughen it for a good mechanical bond. Just be careful not to blast too aggressively and leave the surface too rough in appearance. Application should be the same as any other substrate. With a roughened surface you will need to apply enough film to adequately cover any peaks on the surface.
Originally published in the December 2015 issue.
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