FAQ

In the current era of rapid development in the new energy vehicle industry, electrical insulation powder coatings, as key materials ensuring the safe and stable operation of core components such as vehicle motors and batteries, are facing increasingly stringent performance requirements as the industry upgrades. Especially in terms of insulation withstand voltage, facing the higher voltage levels and more complex working environments of electric vehicles, powder coatings must meet stringent standards to effectively prevent safety hazards such as leakage and short circuits. Producing compliant new energy electrical insulation powder coatings is not simply a matter of mixing formulas; it requires strict control throughout the entire chain, from raw material procurement to production and use, while focusing on optimizing performance based on core technologies to ensure the reliability and stability of the coating.

1. Full-Process Control

The quality of new energy electrical insulation powder coatings begins with precise control at every stage. Only by implementing strict standards throughout the entire production and use process can risks be mitigated from the source, ensuring that the final product meets performance standards.

1.1 Raw Material Procurement

The quality of raw materials directly determines the upper limit of the performance of electrical insulation powder coatings; therefore, strict screening and verification are essential during the procurement process. For core raw materials such as resins, curing agents, fillers, and additives, price should not be the sole consideration; their performance parameters, stability, and consistency must also be carefully examined. When procuring supplies, suppliers with complete qualifications and a good reputation should be selected, and detailed product testing reports should be required. Simultaneously, a sound internal inspection mechanism should be established, sampling and testing each batch of raw materials to ensure that all indicators meet production requirements. For example, key parameters such as the epoxy equivalent of the resin and the dielectric constant of the filler must be precisely matched with the formulation requirements to avoid unstable coating performance due to fluctuations in raw material quality.

1.2 Formulation Development

Different new energy vehicle companies and different core components have different requirements for electrically insulating powder coatings. Some emphasize high-temperature resistance, some emphasize high voltage resistance, and others need to balance lightweight and insulation. Therefore, the formulation process cannot simply copy a general template, but must conduct extensive targeted testing to accurately adapt to customer needs and relevant industry standards. The R&D team needs to adjust the proportions of resin, curing agent, and filler based on factors such as the component’s working environment, voltage level, and service life, testing the performance of different formulations in terms of insulation, heat resistance, and adhesion. Only through repeated optimization and iteration can a mature formulation be formed that meets both the customer’s personalized needs and complies with national and industry standards. This process requires patience and rigor; the accumulation of data from each experiment is crucial for ensuring product quality.

1.3 Production Process

Electrically insulating powder coatings have extremely high purity requirements. Even trace amounts of impurities or metal particles introduced during production can severely affect insulation performance and create safety hazards. Therefore, the production process must be meticulously controlled, establishing a clean production environment and strict operating procedures. The production workshop should be kept sealed and dust-free, and regularly cleaned and disinfected. Dedicated models of production equipment must be selected to avoid cross-contamination caused by sharing equipment with other types of powder coatings. During operation, staff must strictly adhere to procedures and take precautions during material transfer, mixing, and grinding to prevent impurities from entering. Simultaneously, a real-time monitoring mechanism must be established to accurately control parameters such as temperature, humidity, and mixing time during the production process, ensuring the consistency of performance for each batch of products.

1.4 Supporting Preparations

In practical applications, the coating of electrically insulating powder coatings may be damaged due to impacts during transportation, installation, or use. If not repaired promptly, it will directly affect the insulation performance of components. Therefore, in addition to the production of the main coating, it is also necessary to prepare supporting insulating repair paint. The performance of the repair paint should be consistent with the main coating to ensure that the insulation, adhesion, and other indicators of the repaired coating are not compromised. At the same time, detailed repair operation guidelines should be provided to customers, guiding them to repair the coating in a timely and standardized manner when damage occurs, avoiding damage to the overall protective effect due to improper repair, and ensuring the safety of the product throughout its entire life cycle.

2. Performance Optimization

To ensure that the performance of the electrical insulating powder coating is excellent in all aspects, in addition to full-process control, it is also necessary to focus on core technical points and create high-quality coatings through precise material selection and process optimization.

2.1 Optimizing the Resin System to Improve Crosslinking Density

As the film-forming substrate of the electrical insulating powder coating, the performance of the resin is crucial to the insulation and density of the coating. It is recommended to use epoxy resin produced by a two-step process. This type of resin has a more stable structure and superior insulation performance, providing a good foundation for the coating. At the same time, resins with different epoxy equivalents should be matched according to the actual application scenario and performance requirements—the epoxy equivalent affects the crosslinking reaction rate and density of the coating. When combined with imidazole catalysts, the cross-linking reaction between the resin and the curing agent can be effectively promoted, ensuring a sufficiently high cross-linking density in the coating, thereby producing a dense, complete, and uniform coating. A coating with high cross-linking density not only has stronger insulation and voltage resistance but also improves chemical corrosion resistance and abrasion resistance, extending its service life.

2.2 Carefully Selected Functional Fillers to Enhance Core Performance

Fillers in electrically insulating powder coatings not only serve to fill and reduce costs but also significantly improve the coating’s electrical insulation and heat resistance. When selecting fillers, their dielectric constant and resistivity should be given priority: the lower the dielectric constant, the better the coating’s insulation performance; the higher the resistivity, the more effectively current conduction is blocked, avoiding the risk of leakage. Therefore, fillers with low dielectric constants and high resistivity, such as high-quality silica and alumina, should be prioritized. Simultaneously, the particle size distribution and dispersibility of the fillers must be strictly controlled to ensure uniform dispersion in the resin system, avoiding defects within the coating due to agglomeration, which would affect the insulation effect.

2.3 Dedicated Production Facilities to Eliminate Pollution Hazards

As mentioned earlier, impurities and metal particles are the “enemies” of electrical insulation powder coatings. Therefore, dedicated production facilities must be used to eliminate pollution hazards from a hardware perspective. Dedicated equipment should have good sealing and wear resistance to prevent metal particles generated by equipment wear from mixing into the coating. Simultaneously, parts of the equipment that come into contact with materials, such as conveying pipes and mixing chambers, must use inert materials or undergo special treatment to prevent chemical reactions or pollution. Furthermore, the production workshop should establish strict zoning management, effectively isolating areas such as raw material storage, production processing, and finished product inspection to reduce impurity contamination from personnel movement and material transfer, ensuring that the purity and insulation performance of the coating are not affected.

3. Conclusion

The quality of new energy electrical insulation powder coatings is crucial to the core safety of new energy vehicles and cannot tolerate any negligence. To meet the industry’s increasingly stringent performance requirements, a dual strategy of “full-process control + core technology optimization” is essential. From rigorous screening and inspection of raw material procurement to repeated testing of formulations, and precise control of the production process and supporting guarantees for repair coatings, strict standards must be implemented at every stage. Simultaneously, focusing on core aspects such as resin systems, filler selection, and production facilities, technological optimization enhances the insulation, density, and stability of the coating. For powder coating companies, this is not only a necessary requirement to meet market demands but also a manifestation of industry responsibility. In the booming wave of the new energy vehicle industry, only with a rigorous attitude, sophisticated technology, and strict management, meticulously crafting each product, can reliable electrical insulation powder coatings be produced, building a solid defense for the safe operation of new energy vehicles and contributing to the industry’s sustainable and healthy development. In the future, with the continuous upgrading of new energy vehicle technology, the requirements for electrical insulation powder coatings will continue to increase. Companies need to continuously increase R&D investment, iterate their technology and management systems, and empower the high-quality development of the new energy industry with higher-quality products.