Bonded Powder Coating

Bonded powder coating products are powder bases that are thermally bonded with a metallic pigment.

How does the bonding process work?

Bonding a powder coating base involves heat. The base powder is heated, but only just enough to soften the particle. Then, metallic flake is added through mixing. Since the powder particle is soft, the flake will adhere/stick to the particle.

How does bonded powder coating differ from non-bonded?

Non-bonded powder coating is a simple dry mix and heat is not used. Since the pigment powder base never softens, the flake doesn’t adhere. The result is a powder coating product that doesn’t contain metallic flake attached to the powder particle.

bonded powder coatings — A 500X example of Dry Blend vs Bonded powder coatings.

What is the value in bonded powder coating?

Bonded powders will always be more consistent than non-bonded. The biggest difference between bonded and non-bonded powder coating will come during application. Because non-bonded particles and metallic flakes are not adhered to one another, they will randomly align/organize during spray. This problem becomes exaggerated when electrostatic sprayers charge the mix and cause the metallic flakes to "clump." The result is an inconsistent finish. Additionally, dry blends won’t allow for reclaiming without huge color shifts.

There are four main Value Points with bonded powder coating:

Recycle ability
Color consistency
Sprayablility
Higher pigment loading (more possible colors)

Is there value in non-bonded powder coating?

The only value in non-bonded powder coating is the cost. Simply put, non-bonded products are cheaper. The process is done without heat and is referred to as dry mixing. This only tends to be an option for lower quality products where consistency in aesthetics is not as important.

Unfortunately, there is also some sellers that claim their products are bonded when they are not. This why it always important to purchase your powder from a reputable dealer.

Who can bond powder coating bases?

For many powder coating manufacturers it isn’t economical to bond their particles on their own. It would require they have bonding knowledge, stock flake, own equipment and produce batches. This can be a bottleneck issue for production, especially with the increased risk of nonconformities.

Many powder coating manufactures opt to work with ECKART. At ECKART we offer STARBONDING. This is a service that we provide in-house, bonding your powder bases with our effect pigments. We do this according to our own color matching formula or the customer’s formulation.

ECKART’s STARBONDING service also means that powder manufactures can focus on powder production and not heavily invest in bonding equipment they might not use consistently. Partnering with ECKART also means the flake and bonding service are coming from the same vendor, reducing quality control problems.

ECKART is so committed to the success of your bonded powder coating products, we operate two locations. Our European location is in Hartenstein, Germany, while our Americas location is in Painesville, Ohio.

Need more guidance with your bonding project?

As usual, you can expect the best from ECKART, when it comes to customer and technical service. Supporting our customers before, during and after the sale is just as important as our products themselves. Feel free to fill out the contact form and an ECKART professional will be in touch with you shortly.