Preparing Copper for Powder Coat
I have a customer who is coating copper with an epoxy-based powder coating. Is there a recommended pretreatment for this type of system?
Q. I am a manufacturer of powder coatings. I have a customer who is coating copper with an epoxy-based powder coating. The finished parts will be subjected to 300°F for some time in their service life. Is there a recommended pretreatment for this type of system? J.K.
A. You have several choices with preparing copper for powder coating. One is mechanical abrasion (scuff sanding) and wiping with alcohol. The other is using a chemical etchant to remove any oxides and clean the surface. Unfortunately, there are no conversion coatings for copper (i.e. phosphate, chromate, etc.). If the substrate is clean from organic and inorganic soils, you should have no problems.
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