Application of Electrostatic Powder Coating on Wood Composite Panels Using a Cooling Method. Part 1: Investigation of Water Intake, Abrasion, Scratch Resistance, and Adhesion Strength

Powder coating is environmentally friendly and safe in terms of human health and is used especially on home appliances and in the automotive sector. Because of these advantages, recent studies have expanded work on the application of powder coating on non-conductive surfaces. Within the scope of this research, low temperature curing (120 degrees C to 130 degrees C) was applied on wood-based composite panels of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), particleboard, and plywood to facilitate conductivity. Epoxy, polyester, and hybrid (epoxy-polyester) types of powder paint and water-based liquid paint (control group) were applied to the surface of materials. Panels coated with the powder coatings were compared to the panels coated with the water-soluble acrylic resin coating. The prepared samples were analyzed for performance properties. The best results for thickness swelling, water absorption, adhesive strength, abrasion, and scratch resistance were found for the plywood coated with water-based liquid paint, MDF coated with polyester-based powder paint, plywood coated with hybrid powder paint, particleboard coated with hybrid powder paint, and plywood coated with epoxy powder paint, respectively.