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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
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for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Electroless nickel as an equivalent for powder coating
Q. Our company is in the final stages of introducing a new device for cancer radiation treatment. We are currently spec many of our metal products with a Powder coating material "Safety Blue" We want to use an electroless nickel as substitute. Is the electroless nickel considered an equivalent coating? Thanks for your help.
Bob Evensen- Madison, Wisconsin
2003
2003
A. Hi Bob. They are equivalent only in the same sense that novocaine and aspirin are equivalent :-)
Powder coating and electroless nickel are both corrosion resisting finishes, just as novocaine and aspirin are both pain killers, but they have virtually nothing else in common. Note that the electroless nickel will be metallic colored rather than blue. Best of luck.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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A. The only things that EN Coating & Powder would have in common is they are both Corrosion Resistance Coatings. However Powder Coating has much better resistance than EN. Basically twice as much or better, due to the thickness of the Coating. However EN does have a much more consistent thickness on the part than Powder would. But on the same note, You are stuck with the color of the EN Plating. Whereas with Powder you can make the part cosmetically appealing to the Customers' eyes, with hundreds of different colors. Michael Narlock- Watertown, Wisconsin, USA 2003 A. Well, we're in agreement that EN and powder coating have little in common and look very different, Michael. But regarding the relative corrosion resistance, I'm not sure that it's completely fair to claim powder coating has twice or more the corrosion resistance. While 2500 hours salt spray may be possible for powder and only 1000 for EN, that's assuming the surfaces are never touched with anything more robust than a powder puff :-) A scratched coating has no corrosion resistance at all, and I'll bet you'll scratch through a powder coating with a dull brass house key easier than you can scratch through an EN coating with a sharp steel church key :-) Ted Mooney, P.E. Striving to live Aloha finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey 2003 |
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