Fumed Alumina 100 Application In Powder Coating

Fumed alumina is a vital component of powder coatings. Due to its characteristics, such as particle size, purity, dispersibility, fumed alumina is widely used in protecting metal parts, pipes, as well as in high-gloss photo paper, optoelectronic ceramics, lighting products, and other fields. Fumed Alumina 100 applications also have their part in sustainable development, as a core material of vacuum insulation boards and in energy-efficient lamps, among others.

Fumed Alumina 100 is a type of nanoscale fluffy powder produced by the hydrolysis of aluminum trichloride, oxygen, and hydrogen by high-temperature combustion. Its native particle size ranges from 7nm~40nm.

Powder coating is a type of coating that is applied as a dry powder. The powder typically contains finely ground particles of resin, pigment, and other additives. The powder is sprayed onto a surface to be coated and then melted and cured.

• Fine particle size: With the native particle size of 7nm~40nm, fumed alumina 100 has excellent dispersibility and good optical properties.
• High purity: fumed alumina 100 has an ultra-high purity of 99.99%. In addition, it does not contain metal ions or other harmful impurities, so it can ensure the quality of the products.
• Good adhesion: Fumed alumina 100 has a positive surface charge, so it can firmly attach to the substrate and improve the adhesion of the coating.
• Excellent hiding power: With good hiding power, fumed alumina 100 can effectively cover the substrates and improve the color saturation of the coating.

Low price: Fumed alumina 100 is a low-cost nanomaterial with high performance. It can save costs in many applications.

Fumed alumina application to powder coating mix adds the benefits of good hiding power, strong adhesion, and excellent resistance to weathering. It can be used as a primer, top coat, or effect coat. It is also widely used in automotive coatings, industrial coatings, coil coatings, and other fields.
Thanks to its high purity and small particle size, fumed alumina can be used as a colorant, improve the dispersibility of pigments and improve the surface finish of coated products.

At present, oil and gas pipelines are mainly installed in the complex soil environment. Since most of the media conveyed are corrosive, the inner and outer walls of the pipeline may be exposed to corruption. If the pipeline is not well protected by corrosion perforation the damage will soon provoke gas or oil leakage. The result will not only interrupt the transportation process but also seriously pollute the environment. In severe cases, it may even lead to a fire.

For that reason, when designing the pipeline it is necessary to consider the impact of wear and corrosion on the installation environment. The equipment needs to be coated for added protection and to enhance its service life. Applying adequate coatings to the surfaces will also ensure high corrosion resistance.

Fumed alumina application as a hardener in powder coatings can greatly improve the hardness performance of coatings. Aluminum oxide has a large specific surface area, high surface activity, a good affinity with the substrate, and strong chemical stability.

Following the addition of the vapor phase method into the alumina, the surface of the sprayed coating will form a tight, uniform oxide film protection. By shielding the corrosive medium, it will achieve the desired surface protection of the coating, playing a vital role in overall corrosion resistance. At the same time, the fumed alumina added to the powder coating will not affect the transparency and compatibility of the coating, ensuring a good decorative effect alongside protection.

Under the test conditions, the corrosion resistance of the alumina-enhanced inorganic zinc silicate coating was increased by 6 times, the sliding friction factor of the coating was about 0.2, and the wear resistance was increased by 3 times.

In the production and application of powder coatings, the Actual Coverage Ratio (ACR) has always been a major problem for manufacturers and customers. If the ACR is low, a large amount of powder will fall back during the construction process. In return, the utilization rate of powder will be reduced, and the spraying speed lowered, directly affecting the continuity of the process and significantly reducing its economic efficiency.

In the spraying process, the friction gun with powder particle size control is a strict and reliable tool. The powder particles must be at a certain speed. Barrel wall friction occurs violently in order to bring enough positive charge to achieve powder adsorption on the workpiece. If the powder charge is too small and the electrostatic gravitational force is low, the powder rate will be reduced. Therefore, it becomes apparent that the main adsorption force of electrostatic spraying is the electrostatic force. Whether the powder rate would be high or low, mainly depends on the number of powder particles charged with electricity.

At present, many industries utilize the benefits of Fumed Alumina application to powder coatings in order to achieve a higher ACR rate. Fumed Alumina itself features a large number of positive charges – consequently, it can effectively improve the frictional charged nature of the powder. In the spraying process, Fumed Alumina particles get uniformly distributed on the surface of the substrate. Through electrostatic gravitational force, the powder can be better adsorbed on the workpiece, improving the powder coating rate, reducing the powder recovery rate, and promoting its utilization rate.

When the fluidity of powder coating is low, it leads to the phenomenon of irregular powder shape, adherence of powder particles, large particle imperfections, and poor looseness. The issues such as a high amount of recycled powder, lower utilization rate, slow spraying speed, and other problems are expected to follow. Consequently, that will directly affect the continuity of the process and significantly reduce its economic efficiency. Therefore, in order to improve efficiency and ensure the quality and stability of powder coatings, it is necessary to improve the fluidity of the mixture applied.

It has been found that by adding fumed alumina nano-materials, the adhesion between powders can be effectively reduced and the flow-ability improved. With a certain amount of fumed alumina mixed in the powder coating and stirred thoroughly, its unique nanostructure and a positively charged surface will make the coating uniformly bonded to the surface of the matrix particles.

Forming an even outer layer, the matrix particles move in an orderly manner, effectively reducing the electrostatic gravitational force between the particles and avoiding the inter-powder adhesion. At the same time, the fluidity and the looseness of powder are effectively improved, preventing the caking of the coating.

With the development of science and technology, the role of machinery in modern industry is increasing. Since abrasion of mechanical parts mainly occurs in the material contact surface, the most cutting-edge technology is coated with a ceramic film to improve the service life of mechanical parts.

The preparation of metal-based ceramic coating requires Fumed Alumina application to the compound to improve its character. Due to high dispersion, uniform particle size distribution, high specific surface area, hardness, and high purity, the amount of fumed alumina added to the coating aggregate has a critical impact on the uniform dispersion of the coating. When the amount of fumed alumina added reaches 2%, the surface shape of the coating turns relatively smooth and flat, while the bond between the coating and the substrate becomes very tight. Simultaneously, the internal structure of the coating becomes very dense and uniform, with greatly improved abrasion resistance and overall surface strength. As a result, such protection also increases the service life of the metal parts.

Fumed Alumina is positively charged. In all powder coatings, it can be dry mixed before or after fine pulverization.

RECOMMENDED ADDITION LEVEL: As supplied calculated on total formulation: 0.1 – 0.3%.

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