A review on electrostatic powder coatings for the furniture industry

Abstract

Although powder coatings have had a long history in metal-related industries, it is a relatively new technology for the furniture industry. However, its application on wood-based panels which are non-conductive and sensitive to high temperatures has rapidly increased with developments in low-temperature curing powder coatings and the production of special-grade MDF (medium density fibreboard) panels. Solvent based-paints are still the most used coatings in the furniture industry, followed by water based paints, and powder coatings. However, government legislation on the toxic chemicals used in solvents, particularly in relation to human health, has increased the consciousness of people which has forced furniture producers to use modern and environmentally friendly coating systems. There are many advantages of using powder coatings such as them being non-toxic, cost-effective, easy application, and durable to weathering. The powder coatings industry has recently developed low-temperature curing powders and process parameters for wood-based substrates, in particular for MDF. Regular MDF panels are not suitable for powder coating applications because the raw material characteristics, production processes, surface treatments, and storage conditions should be formulated according to powdergrade MDF requirements. MDF producers and furniture companies need to be informed about the details of the application process and key precautions. In this study, the powder coatings market, application processes, required characteristics of the MDF substrate, technological developments and recent studies are extensively given.