FAQ

Many people, lacking professional knowledge, often end up buying inferior, overpriced powder coatings. Today, we’ve compiled five tips to help you choose the right product and avoid purchasing low-quality items.

The primary tip for selecting powder coatings is to “ask questions.” This step will help you quickly filter out reliable products that meet your needs. Before purchasing, you need to clarify your actual usage scenario—whether it’s for indoor furniture, outdoor equipment, or coating workpieces in special industries (such as chemicals or food). Different scenarios have vastly different requirements for the coating’s weather resistance, corrosion resistance, and other properties. Based on this, ask the seller for comprehensive key information: Regarding warranty, clarify the warranty period (e.g., 1 year, 3 years), warranty coverage (whether it covers issues like paint peeling, discoloration, cracking, etc.), and solutions for quality problems (whether free rework or replacement is offered); regarding service, inquire about technical guidance (e.g., spraying process suggestions), logistics delivery time, and after-sales response speed; regarding product details, confirm the paint’s composition, applicable substrates (e.g., metal, wood), drying time, etc., ensuring the product provided by the seller perfectly matches your needs to avoid subsequent usage problems due to incomplete information.

The second key technique is “visual inspection,” judging the quality of powder coatings through direct observation. High-quality powder coatings typically have high transparency and rich gloss—under natural light, the powder shows no obvious impurities, good uniformity, and a delicate texture after spraying; while inferior powders often exhibit clumping, dull color, and other problems. In addition, attention should be paid to the fillers added to the coating: fillers are key auxiliary materials for improving the performance of powder coatings. They are not only low in cost but also specifically enhance the strength, abrasion resistance, and corrosion resistance of the coating. Common filler types and their functions vary: barium sulfate can improve the hiding power and weather resistance of the coating, making it suitable for outdoor coatings; barite powder can enhance the hardness of the paint film and is often used in scenarios with high abrasion resistance requirements; calcium carbonate can reduce costs and improve the fluidity of the coating, and is mostly used in general indoor coatings; talc powder can improve the flexibility of the coating film and reduce the risk of cracking; mica powder has excellent acid and alkali resistance and high temperature resistance, making it suitable for special industrial environments; quartz powder can enhance the scratch resistance and stability of the coating. High-quality fillers must meet the characteristics of being insoluble in water and organic solvents, having good dispersibility, being free of impurities, and being resistant to acids and alkalis. Only such fillers can truly improve the overall performance of powder coatings and ensure long-lasting coating effects.

The third key technique is “touch,” using the feel of the material to distinguish the solids content and purity of powder coatings. Solids content is a crucial indicator of coating quality. High-quality powder coatings have a high solids content (usually above 95%), feeling smooth and silky to the touch without any roughness or particles. After spraying, the film is thick, elastic, and resistant to damage. Inferior coatings, with their low solids content (often below 90%), will still produce a thin, brittle film even after multiple coats. They feel rough to the touch, and if impurities are present, noticeable raised particles will be felt, affecting not only the feel but also resulting in an uneven surface after spraying, reducing both appearance and protective effectiveness. Taking Zhuolong Powder Coating as an example, it is particularly strict in its control of raw materials and production processes: all raw materials are imported from high-quality overseas suppliers to ensure purity from the source; multiple testing steps are set up during the production process, including raw material purity testing, grinding fineness monitoring, and finished product solid content testing. Through continuous process improvement, it ultimately ensures that the product achieves high standards in both touch and film-forming effect, allowing users to have a smooth application experience while obtaining a durable paint film.

The fourth tip is to “smell” – use the odor to judge the environmental friendliness of powder coatings. Environmentally friendly powder coatings, because they do not contain solvents or volatile toxic substances, usually have a light and pure odor, or even be almost odorless; while inferior coatings, in order to reduce costs, may use raw materials containing harmful substances such as formaldehyde and benzene, which will emit a pungent odor after opening. Long-term exposure can not only irritate the respiratory tract but may also harm human health. In this field, Zhuolong brand powder coatings stand out: From R&D to production, they employ internationally advanced odor-eliminating technology, adding no fragrances during production (avoiding the masking of harmful odors). By optimizing raw material formulations and production processes, they achieve rapid odor elimination – residual odors dissipate quickly after application, freeing users from long-term odor disturbance. Whether used in home decoration, office painting, or spaces with high environmental requirements such as children’s rooms and elderly people’s rooms, they easily create a healthy and pure environment, while solving the pain point of traditional coatings’ lingering odor.

The fifth key technique is “scratch testing,” which examines the hardness and abrasion resistance of powder coatings. High-quality powder coatings, due to their reasonable resin and filler ratios, have high hardness after spraying (typically reaching H grade or higher). When lightly scratched with hard objects such as toothpicks or fingernails, the surface of the paint film is not easily scratched; even under slight friction, the paint film remains intact, thus protecting the substrate from damage for a long time. Inferior paints with low hardness will show obvious fine scratches when scratched with a hard object. This not only affects the appearance but also damages the protective layer of the paint film, exposing the substrate to air and making it susceptible to moisture and dust corrosion, thus shortening its service life. In actual testing, it is recommended to test the paint film 24 hours after it has dried (ensuring complete curing). Use your fingernail to scratch the surface 3-5 times in the same direction with moderate pressure. If there are no obvious marks, the paint hardness meets the standard. If clear scratches appear, caution is advised to avoid frequent paint film damage during subsequent use.