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Powder coatings for the new energy industry are functional powder coating materials specifically designed for applications such as the three major systems of new energy vehicles, energy storage equipment, photovoltaic and wind power facilities, and charging infrastructure. Their core function is electrical insulation and protection, while also providing weather resistance, corrosion protection, and environmental benefits.

This article systematically introduces the concept, types, characteristics, functions, application fields, selection considerations, and solutions to common problems associated with powder coatings for the new energy industry. It focuses on their applications to help readers better understand what powder coatings for the new energy industry are and what functions they serve.

What Are Powder Coatings for the New Energy Industry?

Powder coatings for the new energy industry are a category of functional powder coating materials designed for specific new energy applications, including the three major systems of new energy vehicles, energy storage equipment, photovoltaic and wind power facilities, and charging infrastructure. Their core performance indicators include electrical insulation, ultra-weatherability and corrosion protection, and flame-retardant safety, rather than decoration as the primary objective.

Characteristics of Powder Coatings for the New Energy Industry

Powder coatings for the new energy industry have the following characteristics:

1. Electrical Insulation: They provide high dielectric strength, high insulation resistance, and low leakage current, effectively preventing high-voltage breakdown and electrical leakage risks. These are core performance requirements for coatings used in the three major systems and high-voltage components.
2. Flame-Retardant Safety: They meet flame-retardancy rating requirements, enabling the integration of electrical insulation and flame retardancy on safety-sensitive components such as power battery housings and PACK enclosures.
3. Ultra-Weatherability: They resist long-term degradation caused by ultraviolet radiation, salt spray, and acid rain, making them suitable for applications involving prolonged outdoor exposure, such as outdoor energy storage cabinets and photovoltaic mounting structures.
4. Heavy-Duty Corrosion Protection: They offer strong resistance to salt spray corrosion and are suitable for marine climates and strongly acidic or alkaline environments, including regions with high humidity and high salt concentrations.
5. Chemical Resistance: They withstand immersion in electrolytes, coolants, and acidic or alkaline solutions without blistering or wrinkling under chemical exposure.
6. Humidity and Heat Resistance: After prolonged use under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions, the insulation layer remains stable without cracking or failure.
7. Thermal Conductivity/Heat Dissipation: They combine electrical insulation with thermal transfer efficiency and are used in components requiring thermal management, such as liquid cooling plates and cooling systems.
8. Electrical Conductivity/Antistatic Properties: They help prevent static charge accumulation and are suitable for static-sensitive applications such as battery packs.

Functions of Powder Coatings for the New Energy Industry

The functions of powder coatings for the new energy industry are as follows:

1. Electrical Insulation and Safety Protection

This is the primary function of powder coatings used on the three major systems and high-voltage components. For metal substrates in power batteries, drive motors, and electronic control systems of new energy vehicles, powder coatings provide electrical insulation and protection to prevent high-voltage breakdown and electrical leakage risks. On critical conductive components such as busbars, the insulating coating acts as a safety barrier, blocking abnormal current flow and ensuring the stable operation of capacitor assemblies and the entire vehicle system. In some applications, the coating must also provide flame retardancy. It is used on safety-sensitive components such as power battery housings and PACK enclosures to form an integrated protective layer that provides both insulation and flame retardancy.

2. Long-Term Corrosion Protection and Weather Protection

Energy storage cabinets, charging facilities, and photovoltaic and wind power components are exposed to outdoor environments for extended periods. Their coatings protect against erosion caused by salt spray, ultraviolet radiation, heat and humidity, windblown sand, and acidic or alkaline media, ensuring that cabinets and structural components do not fail due to corrosion during their designed service life of more than ten years. For bottom components such as battery pack underbody shields, powder coatings also provide stone-chip resistance and wear resistance, protecting metal substrates from damage caused by flying road debris and mechanical abrasion, thereby extending component replacement intervals.

3. Customized Functional Performance to Ensure System Operation

According to the specific requirements of different components, powder coatings also provide targeted functional benefits. They deliver integrated wear and corrosion protection for battery pack underbody shields, combine insulation with thermal transfer for heat-dissipating components such as liquid cooling plates, and provide static dissipation near electronic modules to prevent static accumulation from damaging sensitive components. These functional coatings have expanded the role of powder coatings beyond simple surface treatment into the evaluation of equipment reliability throughout its entire life cycle.

Application Fields of Powder Coatings for the New Energy Industry

The specific application fields of powder coatings for the new energy industry include the following:

1. Three Major Systems of New Energy Vehicles

This is a core application field explicitly defined at the standards level. According to the group standard Insulating Powder Coatings for the Three Major Systems of New Energy Vehicles, powder coatings are suitable for surface coating of metal substrates requiring electrical insulation protection in the power batteries, drive motors, and electronic control systems of new energy vehicles. Specific components include power battery housings, PACK enclosures, battery connectors, and liquid cooling plates. In addition, components such as battery trays, battery cell packaging, and busbars also extensively use insulating powder coatings to replace traditional insulating paint and PET blue film encapsulation processes.

2. Energy Storage Equipment and Facilities

Energy storage is one of the fastest-growing application scenarios for powder coatings in the new energy industry. Applications specifically include energy storage cabinet enclosures, energy storage battery modules, power component housings, and mounting structures. To meet the requirements for long-term outdoor operation of energy storage cabinets, powder coatings are available with corrosion protection and ultra-weatherability ratings from C3 to C5. as well as functional products offering electrical insulation and flame retardancy, electrical conductivity and antistatic properties, and thermal conductivity and heat dissipation. Leading companies have been included in the supplier systems of multiple energy storage enterprises, with their products used on components such as energy storage cabinets and battery packs.

3. Photovoltaic and Wind Power Facilities

Applications of powder coatings in the photovoltaic sector include photovoltaic module frames, photovoltaic panels, and mounting structures, which must accommodate the low-temperature curing requirements of composite substrates. In the wind power sector, applications cover electrical enclosures such as wind power distribution cabinets and control cabinets, as well as corrosion protection for related metal structural components of wind turbines. Coating solutions covering the full range of wind power, solar power, energy storage, charging, and battery swapping applications have become an industry trend.

4. Charging Facilities and Supporting Components

Corrosion-resistant and weather-resistant coating of charging pile housings and structural components is one of the clearly defined application areas. In addition, aluminum battery enclosures, body structural components, and exterior parts of new energy vehicles are also included in the scope of powder coating applications. In more specialized applications, thermal management components such as liquid cooling plates for data centers and battery water-cooling plates also rely on powder coatings to provide both electrical insulation and heat dissipation.

How to Select Powder Coatings for the New Energy Industry

When selecting powder coatings for the new energy industry, we may face uncertainty about how to choose the right products. Based on our industry experience, we recommend focusing on the following aspects when selecting powder coatings for the new energy industry.

1. Select the Resin System Based on Component Failure Modes

Electrical Insulation Components (Busbars, Battery Cell Housings, and Busbar Assemblies): Dielectric Performance as a Mandatory Requirement

Coating failure on these components directly points to potential electrical safety incidents. Epoxy systems are common base materials for insulating powder coatings because their adhesion and dielectric properties can be flexibly adjusted through formulation. However, the term “epoxy” alone is insufficient to determine performance. Measured breakdown voltage and dielectric strength data for the proposed formulation must be obtained.

Outdoor-Exposed Components (Energy Storage Cabinet Housings, Charging Pile Housings, and Photovoltaic Mounting Structures): Weatherability Is a Strict Requirement, and Pure Epoxy Is Unsuitable

Pure epoxy systems chalk and lose gloss under ultraviolet exposure. Outdoor applications must use weather-resistant polyester systems designed for outdoor use. Industry selection frameworks clearly distinguish between different conditions: epoxy or epoxy-polyester single-layer coatings can be used indoors without UV exposure, while outdoor applications exposed to UV radiation require weather-resistant polyester. Where corrosion requirements are high, a two-layer system consisting of a primer and topcoat should be used. For coastal or high-salt-spray environments, a single-layer polyester coating may be insufficient, and a two-layer corrosion protection system or a higher-grade resin solution should be considered.

Battery Pack Housings/Underbody Shields: Corrosion Protection and Stone-Chip Resistance Take Priority, While Electrical Insulation May Not Be the Primary Requirement

The failure modes of these components are corrosion perforation or mechanical damage rather than electrical breakdown. Selection should therefore prioritize corrosion protection ratings, such as salt spray test duration, impact resistance, and edge coverage, rather than treating dielectric properties as the primary requirement. If the substrate is hot-rolled steel sheet, an electrocoating-plus-powder-coating process can be used to enhance corrosion protection.

2. Pay Attention to Overlooked Process Compatibility

Deep Cavities and Complex Geometries: Electrostatic powder spraying has difficulty ensuring uniform film thickness on components with complex geometries. This is a known limitation compared with liquid coatings. If components have deep grooves, internal corners, or densely arranged assembly surfaces, the powder application capability must be confirmed with the coating applicator in advance. Spraying parameters should be adjusted when necessary, or an alternative process should be considered.

Low-Temperature Curing Requirements: Temperature-sensitive substrates, such as composite photovoltaic frames, require curing temperatures to be reduced to 100–120°C. Conventional powders that cure at 160–200°C are unsuitable, so specially formulated low-temperature-curing products must be selected. If energy storage cabinets use hot-rolled steel substrates, an electrocoating-plus-powder-coating process can be considered to enhance corrosion protection, or pure/high-fluorine resin systems can be selected.

Reclaimed Powder Management: In mass production, the proportion of reclaimed powder affects powder application efficiency and appearance consistency. If strict requirements apply to coating appearance or dielectric consistency, the proportion of reclaimed powder should be controlled and kept stable.

Common Problems with Powder Coatings for the New Energy Industry and Their Solutions

The most common problems encountered when using powder coatings for the new energy industry mainly involve the following aspects. Based on our industry experience, we propose corresponding solutions to help effectively address the powder coating problems you may encounter.

1. Porosity in Insulating Coatings: Hidden but Critical

Problem Description: The coating surface appears normal to the naked eye, but its insulation performance decreases significantly under high-voltage or high-humidity conditions, potentially resulting in electrical breakdown. Porosity refers to microscopic gas cavities or voids within the coating. Although invisible to the naked eye, these defects directly weaken dielectric protection.

Possible Causes: Gas release from the substrate is the primary cause. Castings, blasted surfaces, or thermally sprayed metal surfaces release trapped gases during the temperature rise of curing. The expanding gases break through the coating and form bubbles. Inadequate drying after pretreatment cleaning can also leave residual moisture that turns into steam during baking, causing porosity. In addition, residues left by insufficient cleaning or passivation may volatilize during curing and cause the same problem.

Solutions: For cast substrates, perform a degassing pretreatment before spraying by heating the substrate to approximately 40°C above the curing temperature to release gases in advance. For pretreatment, TiZr passivation is recommended as an alternative to traditional phosphating to obtain a more stable surface with stronger adhesion. Ensure that workpieces are completely dry before curing, and control the humidity in the spraying workshop under high-humidity conditions. Use holiday testing (high-voltage coating defect detection) during inspection to identify pinholes and thin spots. Cross-sectional analysis should be performed when necessary to confirm the presence of internal voids.

2. Premature Chalking or Rusting of Outdoor Energy Storage Cabinet Coatings

Problem Description: After three to five years of outdoor operation, coatings on energy storage cabinets begin to chalk, blister, or even peel off. Once the substrate is exposed, rusting accelerates. This type of failure is particularly prominent in products exported overseas and results in high after-sales costs.

Possible Causes: Incorrect resin system selection is the fundamental cause. Pure epoxy or polyester with insufficient weatherability cannot maintain structural stability under prolonged ultraviolet exposure. Inadequate pretreatment, including insufficient degreasing or phosphating, results in inherently poor coating adhesion. Incomplete curing leads to insufficient crosslinking density, reducing both chemical resistance and weatherability.

Solutions: Outdoor energy storage cabinets must use ultra-weatherable polyester powder coatings. QUV accelerated weathering tests should reach more than 2.000 hours, with a gloss retention rate of over 80%. For marine or high-salt-spray environments, upgrade to a fluorocarbon system or a two-layer primer-plus-topcoat solution. Some coastal energy storage power stations have adopted UV-resistant fluorocarbon coatings that remained intact without rusting after five years. Pretreatment must ensure that the phosphate or ceramic conversion coating is dense, and curing must be strictly controlled within the specified temperature and time ranges.

3. Coating Detachment at the Edges of Irregularly Shaped Components

Problem Description: The coating becomes too thin or detaches at sharp edges and bends of irregularly shaped components, such as battery trays and liquid cooling plates. This compromises the continuity of electrical insulation and allows corrosion to begin at the edges.

Possible Causes: During electrostatic powder spraying, the electric field concentrates at sharp edges. However, during melt flow and leveling, powder tends to flow away from sharp edges, resulting in insufficient film thickness. The complex geometries of irregularly shaped components also make uniform spraying difficult to achieve.

Solutions: At the formulation level, select powder coatings containing edge-coverage improvement additives. At the process level, adjust spraying parameters and apply additional spraying to critical edge areas.

4. Poor Adhesion and Low-Temperature Curing Conflicts on Composite Photovoltaic Frames

Problem Description: Composite photovoltaic frames have low surface polarity, so conventional powder coatings can achieve only physical adhesion. Under high-humidity and vibration conditions, the coating peels or blisters. Meanwhile, composite materials have limited heat resistance, and conventional curing temperatures of 160–200°C can cause thermal deformation of the substrate.

Possible Causes: Chemical bonding between the composite surface and the powder resin is lacking, resulting in inherently insufficient adhesion. The conflict between the curing temperature and the substrate’s maximum heat resistance makes conventional powder coatings unsuitable.

Solutions: Select a ternary resin composite system consisting of hydroxyl-terminated saturated polyester, methyl methacrylate-butyl acrylate copolymer, and hydroxyl polyurethane. This system enables low-temperature curing at 100–120°C. The copolymer component improves wetting and powder deposition on low-polarity surfaces, while the urethane bonds in polyurethane provide resistance to UV aging. In terms of pretreatment, a process specifically adapted to the composite surface is required; the phosphating process used for metal substrates must not be applied directly.

Powder Coatings for the New Energy Industry — Professional Coating Solutions

To meet the application requirements of new energy vehicles, energy storage equipment, charging facilities, and supporting metal components for the new energy industry, we provide professional powder coating solutions for the new energy sector. Our solutions combine corrosion resistance, weatherability, electrical insulation, and coating adhesion to meet the technical requirements of different substrates, operating environments, and coating processes.

Contact us to obtain customized powder coating products, professional product selection recommendations, and technical support, providing reliable surface protection and coating solutions for new energy equipment.