When we have anything metal – infrastructure, exterior detailing, or everyday objects, think cutlery – we want it to have a good appearance. This way it looks stylish rather than tacky, and if we use a good enough finish or specific material, it’ll even be low maintenance, therefore reducing those costs.
Maintenance is also one of the main reasons for coating metals. By using a metal coating, there’s added protection against issues like corrosion and erosion. Different coating products, though, can be divided into product categories for their primary use and reason for using. Is colour one of those categories?
‘What are the different types of metal coating colours?’ is something we can get asked in situations where customers and clients are looking for something very specific that fits their needs both in physical protection and appearance.
What Is A Metal Coating?
Often when someone says metal coating, they’re referring to a paint that is applied to metal in order to protect the exterior and interior surfaces. Technically, this is both true and false. False because not every metal coating is considered a paint.
Basically, every paint falls under the coating category, but not every coating will be a paint. Mostly it could just be due to the characteristics of the coating but also due to what it is that the product does. For example, a coating that goes on with a specific job like corrosion resistance, may be referred to as a metal surface treatment.
The Makeup Of A Coating
One of the most important components of an industrial metal paint is resin. And this could be a number of different materials. It could be epoxy, alkyd, acrylic, polyurethane, polyurea, or many others.
Then we have the solvent; something which turns a paint into a more liquidised state. Sometimes it’s water and sometimes it’s a chemical but the process of all the raw materials being deposited and mixed into it remains the same.
Why Should I Use A Metal Coating?
Using a metal coating on your component parts could actually lead to a more efficient and longer-lasting performance. They work to protect your constituents in many different ways, ensuring that they’re remaining in top condition.
Protection Against Corrosion
Probably the biggest reason metal coating should be used on pieces.
Corrosion is a naturally occurring chemical reaction that happens due to oxidation. More specifically, when metal and water make contact, the charged atoms in the metal compound react with the H2O ions and oxidation happens. Scientifically, the metal compound loses electrons to water.
In other words, metal begins to discolour and weaken in strength and structure when corrosion sets in.
Metal coatings can, therefore, help protect against this because of their design. They act as a barrier to the component material underneath.
Chemical Resistance
A coating application means a tough surface is formed on your structure, protecting it from multiple things. Chemicals being one of those. The coatings can be made specifically for resistance against chemicals or any abrasion.
Durability Improvement
As coatings can protect against corrosion, abrasion, and wear and tear, this adds overall to the durability of a product. The entire structure has better durability not just from the coating but also because of what else the coating protects from.
Fire Protection
Certain metal coatings can be curated to protect a substrate from the effects of fire. This feature helps with protection as it gives additional time. Steel, for instance, loses it’s bearing capacity once it reaches a particular high temperature.
The additional time that a fire protective metal coating gives means that evacuations can be performed and the emergency authorities have more chance to control the fire.
Colours of Metal Coatings
Fortunately, there’s plenty of adaptability and flexibility in metal coatings and they can be very diverse. But choosing the kind of finish you want depends on how you want your product to appear.
If it’s located where many people will be able to see it, you might just want to make sure it looks shiny and well-kept. So a silver-touched coating with a gloss finish might be your preference. And if your structure can be seen by many as well your house, you might want to make it blend in so it doesn’t stick out too much.
In such a situation, a matte finish and a regular metallic appearance may be what you want to achieve this.
Black, silver, white, and gold are usually the most traditional colours for metal coatings. Along with matte and gloss finishes. A change in combination leads to a change in the result and this is how many customers’ and clients’ needs can be met to make them satisfied. That doesn’t mean no other colours are available, though.
Otherwise, how would we have multi-coloured furniture?
Our Other Applications Within Industries
Alphatek is proud to have the ability to help customers and clients across industries and applications solve complex coating difficulties. With our forward-thinking approaches, we provide solutions; we don’t just consult.
The greater the challenge, the harder we strive to overcome it.
Every department is brought together for an initial briefing on the clients’ requirements. Then, our skilled Metallurgist conducts a complete technical assessment and our R&D service team applies their industry knowledge and ability to a research project.
If you ask us for a bespoke solution, we plan to deliver it.
Here at Alphatek, we will always be up for accommodating new clients with challenging requests. We will handle every conversation professionally and aim to fulfil any requests to a high standard. Customer satisfaction is one of our priorities.
Come To Alphatek
Come to Alphatek for the some of the best protection on the market. Not to mention that our great rate and efficiency is what makes us a leading competitor in this field.
If you need thermal spray coating and metal spraying professionals, we can help!
Give us a buzz on 01706 821 021 or message us digitally at postbox@alphatek.co.uk to get in touch with our team. We’ll assist you and support you with what you’re looking for, whether that’s advice, information on what we do, or an answer to your query.
Did you know that we’re located less than 20 miles north of Manchester? Well, we are! Check out our opening times and come visit us in person! We’re more than happy to welcome you.
