SW JANUARY 2022 SHOW GUIDE WEB | Page 8

QUALICOAT UK & IRELAND

Growth in Class Two Powders

By Angus Mackie - QUALICOAT UK & Ireland Chair

A great deal of work has been done by QUALICOAT over the last few years to understand the relationship between architectural aluminium and powder coating , the results of which are freely available in the current version of the QUALICOAT Standard which is constantly updated in ‘ real time ’. To gain a QUALICOAT licence , powder coaters must undergo both a stringent pretreatment & coating equipment review and crucially , a review of their production processes . Only when these meet the stringent requirements of QUALICOAT will a licence be granted . So who sets the standard ? Members themselves set up in working groups from across the globe to set the bar high to simply be the best . So a QUALICOAT specification is an assurance that your coater cares about the quality they are providing .
With the recent introduction of QUALICOAT 3.0 , where the aluminium itself has to meet stringent quality levels , the introduction of pre-anodisation and chrome free pretreatment systems , the sealing of the aluminium surface and the ‘ key ’ that these
Angus Mackie - QUALICOAT UK & Ireland Chair processes provide , ensures that the coating will remain in place for a very long time .
Weathering over time affects all finishes , this is especially relevant to buildings which are rarely cleaned on their exposed surfaces . Some materials , such as copper , the green patina effect once weathered , can be very pleasing . Corten exposed steel weathers to a dark rusty hue . Where specifiers want finishes that are intended to retain their original colours , finishes that fade or change over time would deemed to be unacceptable .
The formulation of organic coated surface treatments has advanced over the forty years that organic coating was first specified for architectural metalwork . Many of the original projects are still in use today with the coating still doing its job protecting the aluminium or steel substrate , but could have faded . Much of the current architectural organic coating in the UK uses ‘ Class 1 ’ powders which offer excellent adhesion and long life .
Powders can be supplied in various grades of durability to suit a project application . Premium powder compositions use more expensive and robust materials to offer life expectancies well beyond thirty years and often similar to the life expectancy of the building itself . QUALICOAT has created quantifiable performance classifications for architectural organic coatings . In Europe there are three distinct classes of performance - Class 1 , 2 & 3 .
The key parameter to distinguish the performance of these Classes is their ‘ weathering ’ ability . That is to say , the ability to maintain a consistent colour and gloss level over time . To ‘ weather ’ well the organic coating must resist the deleterious effects of Light ( in particular UVa & UVb ), temperature and humidity . The globally accepted method for this ‘ natural weathering ’ test is conducted in Florida , USA . Sample panels are set for external exposure at a given angle 5 ° South . Powders are then classified over time exposure on the following performances :
Class 1 powders :
After twelve months exposure , less than 50 % loss of gloss , and colour change between 2 and 6 delta units ( subject to the colour ). This pass criterion is commonly known as ‘ 1 year Florida ’.
Powder Coated Project
Powder Coated Project
Class 2 powders :
After twelve months exposure , less than 25 % loss of gloss , after twenty-four months , less than 40 % loss of gloss and after thirty-six months , less than 50 % loss of gloss . After threeyears colour change 2 to 6 delta units , dependent on colour . This testing criterion is commonly known as ‘ 3 year Florida ’
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