All types and shapes of steel surfaces that are subjected to fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE) coating follows three important steps such as surface preparation through blast cleaning, heating the steel material to recommended temperatures, and epoxy application and material curing/drying.
After being thoroughly blast-cleaned, the steel materials are subjected to a heating process that increases their temperature to the recommended level for FBE. Dry epoxy powder is then ejected from spray nozzles and aimed towards the steel materials. As the dry epoxy powder is released, the powder particles acquire electrical charges that are attracted to the grounded steel bars. The dry powder melts upon contact with the heated surface, liquefying and flowing into the steel’s surface. As it flows it seeps through the ribs and deformations in the rough surface. The heat further induces a chemical reaction that turns the epoxy powder molecules into complex cross-linked polymers, fusion-bonding the steel material with its epoxy coating permanently.
The epoxy-coated material is then allowed to dry for around 30 seconds before being doused with either air or water to reduce temperature quickly for easy handling.
The process of manufacturing epoxy coating and the coating process itself produce little waste and release zero contaminants to the environment. Epoxy coating is considered an efficient and environment-friendly alternative to protective coatings.
