Painted Versus Anodized Coatings
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Welcome to Valspar’s course on Painted versus Anodized Coatings. We’re glad you’ve joined us today. Painted versus Anodized Coatings 1 Today we are talking about the difference between coating and anodizing a metal substrate for aluminum extrusion building products. In the first part of the presentation, I’ll talk about the advantages and limitations of coatings and CEU Credit Course Learning Objectives anodizing. Next we’ll talk about the manufacturing processes for extrusion, anodizing and coatings. 1. Identify the advantages and limitations of anodized Then, we’ll dive a little deeper into coating and paint coatings for aluminum extrusion building chemistry. From there, we’ll talk about color options products. and finish hardness for coatings and anodized 2. Describe extrusion, anodized and coating parts. manufacturing processes. We’ll wrap up with a brief discussion on field performance, life cycle and warranty 3. Provide overview of coating chemistry. considerations. Considerations that are very important to you as architects. 4. Understand color options and finish hardness for each solution. 5. Learn the difference between field performance of anodized versus paint coatings, and life cycle and warranty considerations. 2 Let’s get started by identifying the advantages and limitations of anodized and paint coatings for aluminum extrusion building products. Learning Objective One Identify the advantages and limitations of anodized and paint coatings for aluminum extrusion building products. 3 There are a lot of different building products made from extruded metal…from curtain walls to windows to entry canopies. The reason extruded aluminum products are Architectural Extrusion Applications popular is because they offer a number of benefits. Curtain wall . Aluminum panels and extrusions . Residential and architectural windows; skylights; door and access systems . Louvers and grilles . Window trim . Soffit fascia, mullions and column covers . Entry canopy 4 What are some of the benefits of using aluminum extrusion products? First, there’s a wide range of finish options available. From a manufacturing perspective, many shapes can be made during the extrusion process, making Benefits of Aluminum Extrusion Products it a very versatile metal to work with. Wide range of finishing options Aluminum is both lightweight and strong. It makes . Complex, intricate shapes are possible an excellent building material. Lightweight From an environmental standpoint, aluminum is a non-toxic metal, and it’s 100% recyclable. A soffit . Strong today could be a door frame tomorrow. Non-toxic . 100% recyclable 5 There are three main reasons why extrusion products need a finish: First, a finish adds color and beauty. This can provide a distinctive look to a building or home. Why Extrusion Products Need a Finish Second, a very important reason to use a finish is for protection of the substrate. As we all know, when . Add color and beauty you put metal in the environment, it’s going to . Protect the substrate corrode. And we want to protect it against corrosion. Hide metal defects And, depending on the type of aluminum part, it can be very important to hide the metal defects on the finished product. For example, if the part is being used on a column in front of a building, you would not want to see imperfections on the metal substrate. A coating can help hide those defects when the product is used in a highly visible space. 6 There are two main types of coatings for extruded aluminum. High-performance coatings are more typically used on high-end monumental, commercial and industrial buildings. They’re also used on high-end residential Aluminum Extrusion Options for Finish products. And, these coatings are popular for high- traffic areas like storefronts, handrails, entry . High-performance coatings systems and windows. − Monumental, commercial and industrial buildings In contrast, anodized finishes are more typically found on storefronts and institutional buildings such − High-end residential as schools and government buildings. − High-traffic areas: storefronts, handrails, entry systems and windows . Anodized finishes − Mid-range storefronts − Institutional buildings: schools and government buildings 7 What exactly is the coating process all about and how does it compare to anodizing an aluminum substrate? There are some differences. In simple terms, the coating process involves spray- applying a high-performance liquid coating on the Introduction to Coating and Anodizing aluminum substrate. Then, the coated part is baked in a high-temperature oven, which helps the coating form a durable protective layer. COATING ANODIZING In contrast, the anodizing process is a way to speed up the oxidation of an aluminum substrate through an electrochemical process. You don’t have to . Spray-apply high-performance . Electrochemical oxidation apply color, but you can if you want to enhance the liquid coating of aluminum substrate metal. on aluminum substrate . Color can be used to enhance . Bake to form durable protective metal layer 8 Let’s discuss some of the strengths that you can achieve when using high-performance coatings. First, the aesthetics. There are a number of benefits. For example, you can choose from thousands of colors. Beyond colors, there are many Strengths of High-Performance Coatings special effects that can be achieved as well…such as pearlescent finishes, mica or metallic finishes – . Aesthetics even interesting color-shifting effects. There is also the option of creating very small batches of custom − Thousands of color options colors to add a signature effect on the building. − Effects: pearlescent, mica, metallic, Overall, high-performance coatings give you the color-shifting opportunity to provide a unique look on your design − Small batch and custom-color capabilities projects. − Wide gloss range Another great benefit to using a high-performance − Mar resistant coating is the wide range of glosses available – − Field touch-up/repair capabilities from high-tech matte to ultra-gloss finishes. Coatings also provide great mar resistance and can . Performance easily be touched up in the field. − Meets or exceeds AAMA 2605 From a performance standpoint, extrusion coatings − Corrosion protection can meet and even exceed AAMA 2605 standard – − UV resistance and color retention which, as you know, is the highest standard in the architectural industry. These coatings provide outstanding corrosion protection. And, they protect against ultraviolet radiation, retaining their color over time. 9 There are a few limitations when using high- performance coatings. Even though the coating is hard and mar resistant, the good news is that these coatings are easy to touch-up. When using high-performance, solvent-based Limitations of High-Performance Coatings coatings, they do emit VOCs. However, when the coating is applied, VOCs can be captured and . Coating is mar resistant reused during the curing process to heat the ovens. Solvent-based coatings omit VOCs And finally, there is also the potential for metallic . Metallic paints can have inconsistent paints to have an inconsistent appearance if the appearance spray application process is not managed properly. 10 Now let’s compare anodized finishes. From a performance standpoint, they’re extremely hard. In fact, the finish is actually harder than the second hardest substance on Earth, which is sapphire. Anodizing also delivers strong corrosion protection Strengths of Anodized Finishes and abrasion resistance. Performance From a process standpoint, there are no VOCs − Extreme hardness created in the anodizing process. It is just an electrochemical process, so there is no coating or − Corrosion protection baking. − Abrasion resistance . Process And, anodized metal is recyclable, which is an added benefit. − No VOCs in anodizing process − Anodized metal is recyclable 11 There are some limitations with anodized products. First, the color choices are extremely limited. Second, it’s hard to hide the surface defects in aluminum extruded products. The anodized surface is transparent. Color matching can be extremely Limitations of Anodized Finishes challenging. The color can vary from batch to batch depending on the aluminum alloys used and even . Minimal color choices the trace elements found in the metal. Hard to hide aluminum surface defects Even though anodized parts are extremely hard, they can be scratched. When this happens, there is . Color can vary depending on aluminum no recourse in the field for a repair. The fix is to . Inability to touch-up scratches or marks replace the entire part. Chemically-intensive anodizing process From an application standpoint, the anodizing . Limited corrosion resistance process is chemically intensive with the use of acids in coastal settings and bases. Another important consideration is that anodized products have limited corrosion resistance when exposed to the humidity and salt spray found in coastal settings. If you’ve ever stayed at a beach location, you may have noticed this type of corrosion damage on extruded aluminum. You can understand why it’s important to know both the strengths and the limitations of each finish option for extruded parts in the design phase of your project. 12 In this table, you will see a quick comparison of color and coating qualities between the two finishes. From a gloss standpoint, coatings provide a wide range of glosses – but with an anodized Comparison of Color and Coating Qualities finish you are limited. When we look at color, there