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Powder coating over Tin and Silver plated Busbars

Q. In powder coating of Aluminum or Copper Busbars we have been having adhesion problems over Tin or Silver Plating. Specifically where intricate masking is required in relation to film thicknesses exceeding 10-20+ mil thick.

I understand preheating and have interest in thicker high temperature masking tapes [green powder coating tape] (affil link). Customers like to send pre-plated parts versus taking an application and perhaps pre-masking area where powder coating is to be applied. Any suggestions?

Thomas Iwasko
Regional Support Manager, Powder Coating & Painting - Chicago, Illinois, USA
2004

October 25, 2008

A. Hi, Thomas. One thing your customer could consider is doing the powder coating first; then the powder coating serves as a mask for the plating. It surprised me at first, but a good powder coating can reliably resist the complete plating cycle (even cyanide copper strike and hexavalent chrome plating).

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

Painting tin plating and anodizing with low VOC Polyurethane?

Question 1.

Can low VOC Polyurethane paint be used on top of tin plated components and, if so, at what temperature should the paint be cured?

Question 2.

Can low VOC Polyurethane paint be used on top of a sulfuric Hard Anodised surface and, if so, at what temperature should the paint be cured?

Robert Morrissa
Plating shop employee - London, UK
July 23, 2008

A. Robert,

The simple short answer in both cases is yes. You haven't given us enough detail to be able to tell you much more than that.

I assume you have a technical data sheet for the paint you intend to use. What does that say? I would suspect that for best adhesion you would want to be using some sort of primer, maybe something like a BS X33 Type II high adhesion primer. You could then top coat with maybe a BS X34 polyurethane topcoat.

This should work on both tin plating and hard anodising.

Best of luck.

Brian Terry
Aerospace - Yeovil, Somerset, UK
July 25, 2008

Q. I have a question regarding paint adhesion to tin plated copper bus bars. Our paint is chipping off and our Painter says paint does not adhere to tin very well. Assuming our Painter is correct, is there a paint that will adhere to the tin plating or does there need to be surface preparation to the tin for the paint to adhere?

Richard Webb
- Lisle, Illinois, USA
August 22, 2014

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