This article examines the contributions to
conventional powder coatings that have
been made by a variety of additives, as well
as UV-curable powder coating technologies, photoinitiators, and pigment selection.
There are currently two main limitations to powder coatings technology. First, the high bake temperatures necessary to bring about crosslinking of the resins can run up big energy bills in comparison with water- and solventborne coatings. Second, the high curing temperatures also prevent curing on heat-sensitive substrates such as plastic. As promising as powder coatings appear, the net result of these drawbacks severely limits their more extensive use. This situation is changing with the advent of UV-curable powders.