New conductive gelcoats with graphene nanotubes as a protecting layer on top of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs) grant engineers and designers the ability to produce special surfaces and uniformly coat all final parts regardless of their conductive and non-conductive nature. Ease of processing, flexibility in color effects, chemical resistance and zero emissions – powder coating on gelcoats offers a viable alternative to liquid painting of FRP parts in automotive, marine, aerospace and even sanitary applications.
FRP is valued for its strength and the freedom it offers designers, but has always been limited in the types of coatings that can be applied. Recent tests with the use of conductive gelcoats have demonstrated the possibility of using powder coating, which is a new step forward in coating technologies for thermoset composites.