Are there any experts in this field? Looking for a test or method to determine if a piece of steel is powder coated? Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Are there any experts in this field? Looking for a test or method to determine if a piece of steel is powder coated? Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.You might send a Private message or email to Cove member Sue, who is a Powder metal maven.

It has been awhile since I was into the coatings that get applied to Steel. Powder coating usually has a more distinctive surface appearance, and greater film thickness than say an E-coat. If you can check the film thikness try doing so. If not try scribing the surface as if you were going to run it in a salt spray test as a panel.

What are you looking for in particular??

Are you having trouble telling if something is e-coated or powder coated??

Kevin

I wish I had my notes from Stolle - there are different tests for each. I was introduced to them - I'll have to see if I have anything here (don't think I have) - when Harley started rejecting product and I found they were using an e-coat test on powder coat. It was Harley's mistake but it took me several days to figure that out.

Are there any experts in this field? Looking for a test or method to determine if a piece of steel is powder coated? Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

gpainter - I found some old business cards with the phone numbers for PPG Tech Rep I used to work with. If you want them send me a private message and I will give them to you.

Years ago we used a "Toke" Gage to scribe thru the primer to the substrate, and it has a graduated scope to look into and see the measurement of the thickness of the primer in mils. This was a Ford requirement on all our primed parts.This gage was inexpensive, and easy to use. All floor inspectors used it, and recorded the thickness. It may work on powder coatings, if that is what you are refering to.

Dave Scott wrote and said he's having trouble posting. He asked me to post this:

I wanted to answer gpainter 's question on testing for powder on parts so how about if I answer you and you can post it. To test for Phosphate coating on a steel part, place one drop of Nitric acid on the part. If it turns bright blue immediately, it is coated. If it is not blue, there is none.

Thanks Dave. Can i assume that all/most powder coating will have phosphates?

kevin, our purchasing manager was not sure if the part was p[owder coated or not.

Hey Gpainter -

A few tests that come to mind are...
1) Cross hatch
2) Methyl Ethyl Keotone Cure
3) Pencil Hardness

You could also contact a local powder coat rep i.e. Dupont, Sherwin Williams, HB Fuller etc and they could also offer some insight.

If you need assistance or explanation of any of the above tests feel free to say so. I could PM you the specifics as they would get rather long winded for the forums sake.