If you’ve seen plastic wrap sticking to surfaces, fabrics sticking to each other when you take clothes out of the dryer, or experienced static electricity when you walk across a carpet and come into contact with metal, you already have an idea of how electrostatic spray painting works. The electrostatic technique involves the law of attraction between positive and negative participles. But how exactly does this apply to the idea of spray painting?
THE BASIC SCIENCE BEHIND ELECTROSTATIC SPRAY PAINTING
Let’s go back to the example of walking across a carpet. As you walk across the carpet, the friction from your shoes against the carpet fabric builds up an electric surge within your body. When you go on to touch a grounded metal object, the resulting electrical discharge can cause a shock.
Once an object is charged, an electrostatic field ensues. An object that has an excess number of electrons as compared to its environment is said to be “negatively charged”. An object with fewer electrons than its environment, meanwhile, is “positively charged”. When two electrostatic objects with oppositely charged particles are in proximity to each other, they will be attracted to each other. It is this concept that lies behind electrostatic painting.
How Electrostatic Painting Works
The paint in electrostatic painting has a positive charge and is typically sprayed through a nozzle. Like a magnet, positive and negative charges attract the paint to a metal surface. The paint will then wrap itself around the object that is being painted – typically a grounded, metal object. There is a very high attraction between the conflicting charges of the paint droplets and the object that is to be painted, with the paint being attracted statically to the metal from all directions.
Benefits of Electrostatic Painting
Here are some benefits of electrostatic painting:
- Paint finish is plated, providing a smooth and hard enamel finish
- You can easily control the thickness of the paint
- The process is efficient, saving you both paint and time
- It is also clean as the application of the paint is uniform and the process prevents overspray
- The surface of the painted object is not just clean, but hygienic. This is because it is non-porous
- The process ensures a strong and durable coating of paint
When to Use Electrostatic Painting
This cost-effective, clean and efficient form of painting has traditionally been used in factories. However, the development of mobile painting units has ensured that this technique can be used in various locations. A contractor with expertise in electrostatic painting can utilize this method even in smaller-scale locations. Think of an iron-wrought fence – wouldn’t it be nice to be able to paint it without having to worry about overspray? With electrostatic painting, you can ensure that grass and other surrounding surfaces are kept clean, preventing any damage to plants and animals in your surroundings. Given the durability of electrostatic painting, you can also expect the paint to last a long time. This makes electrostatic painting the top choice for any exterior painting projects.
