Electrocoating Temperature

Q. What kinds of temperatures will Electrocoat withstand? T.E.

 

A. The temperature the coated parts can withstand is somewhat related to the temperature at which the coating is cured. The cure temperature and amount of overbake the coating can withstand is dependent upon the resin system.

Epoxies cure at the highest temperatures and withstand substantial overbake. Parts coated with epoxy e-coat can probably withstand continuous exposure to 400°F and occasional exposure to 500°F. Since epoxies are “burned off” (as a stripping method) at 600-750°F, these temperatures should be avoided.

Acrylic resins cure at lower temperatures and usually have poorer overbake properties and therefore cannot withstand exposure temperatures as high as epoxies. Acrylics usually exhibit loss of gloss and color changes when overbaked (either time or temperature). If these criteria are not important, acrylic-coated parts can probably tolerate occasional exposure to 375+°F.

You should contact your e-coat supplier if these parts are currently being coated. If your question is a “what if” question, contact any potential e-coat supplier or have parts coated by a custom coater and then test at various temperatures. Various coating properties are affected as parts are exposed to higher than cure temperatures. Therefore testing is the best way to answer your question.