Everything You Need To Know About Black Wrinkle Powder Coatings

Acktar Lambertian Black™ ( Left) vs Powder Black ( Right )

Wrinkle powder coatings appear textured and crackled. They come in single color tones, and many include additional metallic for elevated color and shine. Wrinkle powder coatings provide both decorative and functional purposes as they are chemical resistant and have superb mechanical properties.

Wrinkle Powder Coating application

There are four key factors to wrinkle powder coating applications which include, film thickness, part cure temperature, bring-up time, and hanging/racking.

Film Thickness:

The surface texture of a wrinkle power will be developed and determined by the film thickness range. It is critical that the film thickness during the application of the powder is carefully monitored to comply with the tolerance recommended by the coating manufacturer. The coating will not produce the desired wrinkled texture if the coating is too thick or thin.

Part Cure Temperature:

When developing wrinkle powders, it is necessary to cure at the part metal temperatures and dwell times defined for each coating. If not, the sought-after results will not be achieved.

Bring-Up Time:

The bring-up process is the time it takes to bring a part up to the required cure temperature. It is important to note that certain parts need to be brought to cure temperature at an expedited speed in order for the powder to form the desired surface wrinkled texture.

Are there International Standards for powder coatings?

There are no international standards for powder coatings beyond the color (i.e. RAL color standards). There are, however, test standards that allow you to assess various coating attributes (i.e. ASTM), but these are not “standards as they don’t provide a specific numerical value for each powder type.

Uses for Wrinkle Powder Coatings

Wrinkle powder coatings can be a valuable tool in a variety of situations. They are commonly applied to gears such as sports and recreation equipment, hardware, hand and power tools, safety equipment, home, and kitchen appliances, furniture, toolboxes, wire goods, fixtures, automotive underbody/underhood, metal shelving, and cabinetry applications.

Can Wrinkle Powder Coatings Be Painted?

Wrinkle powdered coatings can be painted in many colors depending on the supplier, but these colors must be single-toned. Most often wrinkle powder coatings will be painted black.

Can A Powder Coating Be Painted Over an Existing Powder Coat?

Yes, you can apply a new powder coating over an existing powder coating. However, there are certain factors that need to be considered before doing so. Powder coatings must be applied to either a clean or new surface. If not, design flaws such as bubbling, fish-eyeing, spots, and more may occur. You also must make sure the new layer of powder coating is compatible with the original layer. There are many chemical factors that play into coatings and not all react well with one another. If possible, scraping off the previous coating before applying another best avoids unpredicted impurities.

Useful Tips For Wrinkle Powder Coatings

When performing the curing process, it is better to mildly over cure a wrinkle, rather than under cure one.
Glossy or smooth wrinkles most often occur when a wrinkle is under-cured, improperly brought to the correct temperature, a flaw when hanging the parts in the oven, or low mil thickness.
If you encounter a problem such as severe adhesion issues with a powder coating, you will most likely have to add another powder coating.

For applications that require black surface with thin layer with controlled thickness Acktar Lambertian Black which has very high durability to abrasion along with UV stability is recommended instead of Black Wrinkle Powder Coating

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