Powder Coating vs. Epoxy paint

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I usually have all of my ironwork(gates, trellis', etc...) powder coated.  I was talking to a guy last night and he said that he heard that epoxy paint was better than PC.  What is everyones preference and why?
Reply:For ultimate durability I still think PC is better... but it is less fade resistant the epoxy paint from what I have seen.
Reply:powder coat tends to be thicker and more chip resistant than paint as well
Reply:My powdercoat guy puts a clear over colour to protect from UV fading.Have a set of gates at my parents that are 10+ years old with no fading.
Reply:I find real industrial 2 part epoxy paint is very tough stuff.  I am talking about the stuff they coat structural steel, piping, semi trailer frames etc.I have found a lot of cheap "powder coated" coatings seem to flake off easily when hit."The reason we are here is that we are not all there"SA 200Idealarc TM 300 300MM 200MM 25130a SpoolgunPrecision Tig 375Invertec V350 ProSC-32 CS 12 Wire FeederOxweld/Purox O/AArcAirHypertherm Powermax 85LN25
Reply:Powder coat is as acceptable in kitchens and hospitals now as is stainless. I would stay with powder.
Reply:On automotive applications I'll take a two part paint (epoxy or urathane) on a zinc-chromate preped surface anyday over powder coating.The problem with powder coating it seems to be brittle and the moment a drop of moisture gets past it, its all over rust will eat it out from the inside.  All I can say is that all the powder coated stuff on cars eventually wears away and the metal under it rusts away.Now compare that to a jeep I have with 190K miles on the clock.  About 80K miles the powder coated front bumper started to rust.  Had a friend sand blast it down, do a proper primer sealer (with a self etching zinc chromate primer - Sikkens - two coats, one thin, one a bit thicker) and a two-part black and it still looks perfect.Talking recently to the local Sikkens paint rep he says I can't get Zinc primers in Maryland anymore.  The local BASF rep said no problem.  Boat/Marine suppliers can still get it (just they warn against using it on stuff that is 100% in contact with salt water).It could be that off-the-shelf car parts are just lousy with quality control especially vs. what a custom car shop does with paint.  For now, I would pick paint.Think about this, how many 10 year old cars do you see with shiny paint?  Tons of them.  I have a '95 Z28 that is still bright and shiny (and not garage kept).  I have zero powder coated parts that have made it that long.Con Fuse!Miller Dynasty 350Millermatic 350P-Spoolmatic 30AMiller Multimatic 200Hypertherm PowerMax 1000G3Miller Maxstar 200DX
Reply:All epoxies oxidize if not protected.  For lasting finish I would put galvanizing first, industrial epoxy properly applied then powder coat.  Note also Ureathane finishes are nice and durable but will not take submersion in water for long periods unlike epoxy.  I have seen rust run under epoxy and also powder coat.  The item must not have any sharp edges since that becomes the thinnest location and is the weak point in the coating.
Reply:Epoxy or urethane over powder coating, I have seen many powder coated surfaces rust under the powder coating where they get a chip because the surface is bare and not prepped under the powder coating to protect it from rusting, and I have some brush guards and roll bars that have gone on close to 20 years after being sandblasted, primed with organic zinc and painted with polyurethane where the original powder coated finish lasted two years in salty environment.If you could prime the surface underpowder coating with zinc chromate you would have a surface that is enduring.Powder coating is just painting without the solvents to reflow the acrylic pigments and binders and using electrostatic disposition to get the paint in areas a paint gun cannot reach.I think many do not understand the process and think because it is a new process powder coating is better.For things that are stationery and see little abrasion, sure powder coating is ok.
Reply:Prep Prep Prep! It ultimately comes down to prep work. Most things powder coated these days is just wiped down and coated. Most painters make sure the surface has lots of "tooth" to it for the paint to grab onto. This is where you see failures. When comparing powder coating to an epoxy primer with a polyurethane topcoat the powder coating is generally about twice as tough when you look at the impact testing and a fair bit tougher when looking at abrasion tests. But this is only if the surface is really scratched up or sand blasted so the powder coating can hang on. Any coating that is not chemically or electrically plated needs to have some sand scratches or rough surface to grab on to. Done right either process will likely out live us all cause the materials are more advanced these days. Also when comes to powder coating the actual powder may be urethane, epoxy, polyester and maybe there are some others but this also matters on toughness and fade resistance so make sure to find out what the shop is using.Millermatic 252Lincoln 175 plusTA 185tswTA 161stlhypertherm pmax 45Victor torchHenrob torchAn S10 for each day of the week
Reply:if powdercoating is done CORRECTLY, than it is better. i powdercoat on the side. mostly automotive or motorcycle applications but i put my personal stuff through some serious abuse and it just proves me right.like said above, it needs to be prepped, cleaned and cured correctly or it is the same durability as paint.
Reply:not it's not.  where you see extreme mechanical, environmental or corrosive conditions you usually see epoxy paint.  epoxy paint can be touched up.  if you are running your material to an industrial powder coater,  a real line, several factors have to be working in your favor to get an accetable job.it is good for aluminum rail and fencing.  that about says it all.
Reply:Epoxy chalks in sunlight.  It has to be top coated with urethane if you want it to hold its color.  Sand blast, use epoxy to build mils and form a water barrier, then use urethane to top coat.  A 16 mil paint thickness on white blasted steel is rated for 10 years in continuous salt water immersion.But, if you want the best, check out the inorganic zinc or zinc chromate type coatings such as Dimetcoat from Ameron/PPG.  These behave like galvanizing so if the coating is ever chipped, the surrounding paint will protect the bare area.  The zinc paints don't hold a top coat as well as the epoxies so there is an increased chance of the topcoat flaking.Last edited by 76GMC1500; 10-22-2011 at 04:18 PM.
Reply:I have worked with a couple of powder coaters in the area. Personally I would rather spend my own time painting them in a quality epoxy primer than waste my money on powder coating. Most of the time my customers paint them a color of there own choice anyway.
Reply:Look wise, Epoxy paint "usually" wins it.One of my first mtn bike frame batches was epoxy painted, they looked great!These were 4 DH bikes for myself & 3 teammates.2 weeks later we had to race in the pouring rain.  The mud clinging to the inside of our legs literally sanded the paint right off of the top tubes of the frames.  They looked 10 years old, in 2 weeks.I've had all of my frames Powdered since then.  It really holds up better to abrasion as long as it was put on right.Buy American, or don't whine when you end up on the bread line.
Reply:i vote powder coat or urethane.  Powder Coat for strength and always adivse it on the motorcycle frames and urethane on the parts. Unless wer doing full blown show , then urethane everything.  Epoxy just doent hav the gloss unless ther's a new one i dont know about. @ Welding Machine , maybe epoxy was the base....lemme paint one of  your MTB frames , i just did one for the NAHBS show weekend befor and everyones saying my paint was the rant of the show.        thermal arc 252i  -  millermatic 350P -   miller XMT, cp300ts, 30a 22a feeders, buttload of other millers, handfull of lincolns, couple of esabs  -   Hypertherm 1250 G3
Reply:Their are also alot of limitations to powder coating....size,cost,available colors,equipment needed.
Reply:I have never heard of epoxy paint???Lincoln pro mig 180Lincoln Square Wave Tig 300/wp 20/home built water cooler Victor, Purox, Harris, O/A welding/cutting setupsVintage Craftsman drill pressVintage Craftsman/Atlas 12"x 36'' lathe7''x 12'' w/c band saw Everlast 140 st
Reply:Epoxies usually are not used for top coat applications because of sensitivity to UV (sunlight).  Epoxy paints form a water barrier and provide toughness... they are the primer.  A urethane topcoat is used to maintain a long lasting gloss finish.  Urethanes are typically two-component systems and some may refer to them as epoxy paints because of that.
Reply:If you like powder coat that's fine, but if it starts to crack, sandblast and either recoat or paint it. It will rust out in no time. I have rebuilt a few decks that were powder coated.Leo
Reply:newbie .........can anyone tell me where i might get a cutting torch body and misc. parts for a..Marquette.Aero Jet.22-111. oxy/act. mine was run down by a work truck ..cut tip and tubes survived but plunger under the cutting handle did not. made me sick to watch my lil torch go like that...R.I.P. pieces. the air adj screw, that holds plunger in under handle is the only survivor , im afraid it may never cut again !!!! any HELP will be felt deeply as this was my fathers , fathers set , and it worked so well.
Reply:powder coat is much harder to repair once it does chip, ya need special equ. to apply/bake  it, Epoxy can be applied with a bruch, a monkey can do it, ez to repair.....I vote Epoxy.........
Reply:The two both have benefits over others.  Powder coating when done right is going to be more durable as it is a thicker coating and uses high temperatures to form a stronger bond with the substrate.  Epoxy coating will typically be easier to spot repair but will also not last as long.  Repairing powder coating can be difficult as typical powder coating thickness can be up to 30 mils and getting a coating to adhere to powder coating can be challenging. If you want a full overview of whether powder coating is more durable than paints including epoxy here is a good guide, it will also cover other advantages and disadvantages of powder coating.