Dear Joe,

Can a standard iron phosphate pretreatment be used as a corrosion inhibitor for steel? That is, can I process my parts with iron phosphate at one location and then ship them to another location for powder coating? The parts are made in Asia and the coating process is in the United States.

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The powder coating industry had been asleep for nearly a decade. Two recessions, off-shoring, over-capacity and slim profit margins cast this outstanding coating technology into a funk. R&D budgets were decimated and far too many experts either retired or got out of the business.

Fortunately, in the last four to five years the industry has experienced a resurgence in innovation. Technologists are finally heeding the call to develop new materials and processes to meet the emerging needs of the manufacturing sector.

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The 2014 Powder Coating Show, which was held in Indianapolis this past September 16-18, is in the rearview mirror now. Let’s take a look back and reminisce (or see what you missed if you were unable to attend)!

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With an undercurrent of a product development rebirth, powder manufacturers are being driven to reignite their R&D programs by factors in the market; OEMs are demanding novel powder approaches for emerging substrate technology; and researchers are finally exploring avenues to deposit powder on nontraditional substrates such as molded plastics and ceramics.

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The U.S. Armed Forces rely on modern, technologically-proven equipment as they operate around the globe. While routine mechanical repairs are expected from continued use, corrosion resulting from low quality coatings and/or improper coating application is a growing concern, as it can bring a piece of sophisticated military equipment to a halt.

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The 2014 Powder Coating Show—the only tradeshow solely dedicated to the powder coating industry in North America—is finally here. Proudly recognized as the leading resource for technical and applied technology forums as well as new product innovations and developments, this is your single best opportunity to meet and interact with the leading professionals from the powder coating industry.

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Well powder fans, the 2014 PC Summit is history now. It wasn’t exactly my summer vacation; however, I have lots to report on. As expected, we had a band of industry experts expounding their knowledge of the latest technical trends in our industry. And, as always, we had a throng of august technologists attending and bringing networking to an expected crescendo.

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Let’s hope not. We may have to file this one under “Preaching to the Choir,” however the question in the headline bears a response. This query was recently posted on LinkedIn by an editor of one of the highly respected industrial paint magazines. It’s a good question, and I think a reply from a powder coating person is appropriate.

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Often a powder coating supplier will describe their product’s particulate nature by quoting a singular value usually “average” particle size or sometimes “median” particle size. These values only paint a minor picture of the story. What is more critical is an understanding of the entire particle size distribution (PSD).

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It’s nearly that time again, powder coating fans. The 2014 Powder Coating Summit is fast approaching. This year’s event will be held on June 17-18 in Columbus, Ohio. Our prevailing theme as always is “Bringing New 

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