This article systematically introduces the concept, characteristics, functions, selection criteria, and common problem-solving measures for new energy powder coatings, with a special focus on their applications, to help readers better understand what new energy powder coatings are, their features, and their roles.
What is New Energy Powder Coating?
New energy powder coating is a class of high-performance environmentally friendly powder coatings specifically designed for the new energy sector, including new energy vehicles, energy storage systems, photovoltaics, and more. It exists as a 100% solid powder and is applied via electrostatic spraying or other methods. Its core function is to provide professional protection such as electrical insulation, corrosion resistance, weatherability, and flame retardancy, while also meeting environmental and safety requirements.Characteristics of New Energy Powder Coating
The main characteristics of new energy powder coatings are as follows:Multi-Functional Integration
In response to the specific safety and performance requirements of new energy equipment, it functions not only as a protective layer but also as a functional layer. For example, it provides electrical insulation for the "three-electric systems" (battery, motor, electronic control) to prevent short circuits; offers flame retardancy, thermal conductivity/insulation, and anti-static protection for energy storage cabinets and battery packs; and delivers exceptional stone-chip resistance and abrasion protection for battery underbody shields, significantly extending service life from 5 years to 15 years.
Ultimate Lightweighting and Cost Reduction
Through technological innovation, some products can reduce thickness by 70%–90%, weight by 75%, and overall costs by 65% while maintaining or even enhancing protective performance. This significantly improves spraying efficiency and saves materials and energy, aligning with the core demands of lightweighting and cost-efficiency in the new energy vehicle industry.
Superior Environmental Adaptability
New energy equipment is often deployed in extreme environments such as offshore, deserts, and high-cold regions, necessitating stronger "armor." These coatings provide high-level corrosion protection and weatherability meeting C3 to C5 grades, resisting salt spray, acid rain, UV radiation, and sand erosion, ensuring stable operation throughout the equipment's entire lifecycle (up to 15–20 years).
Outstanding Environmental and Efficiency Advantages
It inherits the environmentally friendly attributes of powder coatings, including near-zero VOC emissions and material utilization rates exceeding 95%. Additionally, its ease of application enables single-coat forming and rapid response services, balancing green manufacturing with production efficiency.
Functions of New Energy Powder Coating
The primary functions of new energy powder coatings are reflected in the following aspects:In the New Energy Vehicle Sector
Electrical Insulation: Protects high-voltage components such as batteries, motors, and electronic controls (the "three-electric systems") from short circuits or leakage, ensuring electrical safety.
Stone-Chip Resistance and Abrasion Protection: Provides robust protection for battery underbody shields and other areas susceptible to gravel impact, defending against flying stones.
Lightweighting and Cost Reduction: Through ultra-thin coating technology, coating thickness can be reduced by 70%–90% and weight by 75%, contributing to overall vehicle weight reduction while maintaining protective performance and lowering comprehensive costs.
In the Energy Storage and Power Generation Sectors
Long-Term Corrosion Protection: Delivers over 15–20 years of extended protection for outdoor facilities such as energy storage cabinets, photovoltaic mounts, and wind turbine towers, resisting extreme environmental conditions including salt spray, acid rain, and UV radiation.
Flame Retardancy and Fire Protection: Some specialized powders have flame-retardant properties that can delay flame spread, enhancing the safety rating of energy storage systems and other equipment.
Insulation and Thermal Management: On components such as energy storage liquid cooling plates, these coatings can provide both electrical insulation and thermal conductivity, helping equipment dissipate heat efficiently.
Application Areas of New Energy Powder Coating
New Energy VehiclesThis is one of the most critical applications of new energy powder coatings, primarily used for:
Battery Systems: Protects battery underbody shields, battery housings, and other components, providing stone-chip resistance, abrasion protection, and corrosion resistance.
Chassis and Core Components: Includes suspension systems, wheels, and other parts, also protected by high-performance powder coatings.
Three-Electric Systems: Provides multiple protections including electrical insulation, weatherability, and corrosion resistance for battery, motor, and electronic control systems.
Energy Storage Systems
Energy storage equipment demands extremely high performance in corrosion resistance, insulation, and flame retardancy. Powder coatings are widely used in:
Energy Storage Cabinets: Provide integrated protection including corrosion resistance, weatherability, insulation, and flame retardancy. Products meeting C3 to C5 corrosion protection grades can effectively resist salt spray and acid rain attack.
Energy Storage Containers: Also require long-term heavy-duty corrosion protection and superior weatherability.
Battery Packs: Equipped with functional powder coatings offering electrical conductivity/anti-static properties and thermal conductivity/heat dissipation to ensure operational safety.
Photovoltaic Power Generation
Photovoltaic facilities are exposed to outdoor conditions for extended periods, demanding extremely high weatherability:
Photovoltaic Mounts: Powder coatings achieve an average film thickness exceeding 230 μm, with a service life of over 25 years, effectively withstanding sandstorms and UV erosion.
Photovoltaic Modules: Encapsulation powder coatings specifically designed for lightweight flexible PV modules provide protective functions. Acrylic powder coatings also offer a greener and more environmentally friendly option for PV panel applications.
Photovoltaic Frames: Similarly benefit from high-performance powder coating protection.
Wind Power and Charging/Swapping Facilities
Wind Power: Wind turbine units and towers require powder coatings meeting C4/C5 high corrosion protection grades to cope with harsh offshore and high-humidity environments.
Charging and Swapping Facilities: Charging piles and similar equipment also need powder coatings that provide corrosion resistance, weatherability, and aesthetic appearance.
How to Select New Energy Powder Coating
When selecting new energy powder coatings, you may encounter challenges in determining the right choice. Based on our industry experience, we recommend focusing on the following key aspects:Define the Application Scenario and Component Function
This is the most fundamental step. In the new energy sector, needs vary greatly across different stages from power generation to consumption, so the coating target must first be identified:
Three-Electric Systems (Battery, Motor, Electronic Control): The core requirement is electrical insulation to prevent short circuits and leakage in high-voltage components. Relevant group standards such as T/CIC 428-2025 "Insulation Powder Coatings for New Energy Three-Electric Systems" and T/CIET 1205-2025 "High-Performance Insulation Powder Coatings for New Energy Vehicles" can serve as references. Specific requirements typically include:
Insulation Performance: Electrical resistivity must exceed 10¹⁰ Ω·m.
Flame Retardancy Rating: Must meet UL94 V-0 flame retardancy standards.
Adhesion: Must achieve Grade 0 (the highest grade) in cross-hatch testing.
Outdoor Facilities such as Energy Storage Cabinets and Photovoltaic Mounts: The core requirements are long-term corrosion protection and superior weatherability to resist salt spray, acid rain, UV radiation, and other long-term environmental attacks. These facilities typically require a protective service life of over 15 years, with specific reference to standards such as T/CIET 1176-2025 "Ultra-Weatherable Powder Coatings for New Energy Storage Cabinets."
Special Components such as Battery Packs: Beyond basic protection, additional composite functions such as flame retardancy, thermal conductivity/heat dissipation, and electrical conductivity/anti-static properties may be required. For instance, energy storage battery packs may need conductive/anti-static powder coatings to prevent static charge accumulation.
Determine Corrosion Protection Grade and Environmental Adaptability
New energy equipment is deployed in diverse environments, requiring selection of appropriate corrosion protection grades based on specific working conditions. The industry typically uses C3 to C5 grades to classify protective capabilities, with higher grades indicating stronger corrosion resistance.
| Corrosion Protection Grade | Application Environment Examples | Key Performance Requirements |
| C3 | General urban or industrial environments, low pollution, low salt spray areas | Basic corrosion protection, standard weatherability |
| C4 | Coastal areas, chemical plants, high salt spray and high pollution areas | Enhanced salt spray resistance and chemical corrosion resistance |
| C5 | Offshore wind power, extreme cold/heat and other harsh environments | Highest level of corrosion protection, service life of 15–20 years |
Reference Indicator: For harsh environments, high-performance products can achieve salt spray test durations exceeding 2.000 hours.
Consider Application Processes and Emerging Trends
Pay Attention to Curing Conditions: If energy-saving requirements exist or the substrate is temperature-sensitive, priority can be given to low-temperature-curing powders (curing temperatures as low as 130–160°C), which can effectively reduce energy consumption.
Confirm Coating System Compatibility: For complex corrosion protection requirements (such as C5 grade), an integrated "primer + topcoat" coating system may be needed to synergistically achieve optimal protective performance.
Common Issues and Solutions for New Energy Powder Coatings
The most frequent issues encountered during the use of new energy powder coatings are outlined below, along with targeted solutions based on our industry experience:Pinholes
Symptoms: Small pinholes resembling needle points on the coating surface, penetrating the entire coating layer.
Main Causes: Volatile components (physically adsorbed water, low-molecular-weight volatile substances) in the powder escape during curing, breaking through the surface as the coating closes. Approximately 67% of powder coating quality issues are directly related to bubbles/pinholes.
Solutions: Control volatile content in the powder coating; add benzoin as a degassing agent; for thick-film applications, consider using novel wax-based degassing agents to minimize impact on screen printing and gloss.
Cratering
Symptoms: Circular depressions resembling craters on the coating surface, sometimes with particles at the center (fish eyes) or shallow pits without exposed substrate.
Main Causes: Low-surface-tension contaminants such as oil on the substrate surface; oil or moisture in compressed air contaminating the powder; residual pretreatment solution not thoroughly dried.
Solutions: Strictly control pretreatment quality to ensure clean workpiece surfaces; enhance oil and moisture removal from compressed air; investigate and eliminate contamination sources in the powder or environment.
Edge Electrostatic Patterns and Build-Up Pits
Symptoms: Uneven electrostatic adsorption patterns (electrostatic patterns) or localized powder build-up (build-up pits) at the edges, corners, and sharp angles of workpieces.
Main Causes: Mismatch between powder chargeability, particle size distribution, and spraying parameters in thick-film applications (e.g., 90–110 μm).
Solutions: Adjust the amount of charge control agents; optimize powder particle size distribution (control the proportion of ultrafine particles); adjust spraying parameters (such as voltage and powder output).
Poor Adhesion on Special Substrates
Symptoms: Poor coating adhesion on electroplated substrates such as nickel-plated or tin-plated surfaces, or failure in thermal shock and humidity resistance tests.
Main Causes: The electroplated layer forms a dense oxide film (passivation layer) with a smooth surface, making it difficult for conventional coatings to form effective chemical bonding.
Solutions: Formulate specialized epoxy resin and curing systems for special substrates, utilizing the polarity of hydroxyl groups in epoxy resin to form chemical bonds with the metal surface, thereby improving adhesion.
Coating Blisters or Bubbles
Symptoms: Bubbles appearing on the coating surface after curing, or internal blistering under humid and hot conditions, potentially leading to coating delamination in severe cases.
Main Causes: Excessive residual moisture on the substrate; insufficient powder curing; or reduced adhesion after aging in high-temperature, high-humidity environments (e.g., 85°C/85% RH).
Solutions: Ensure thorough drying during pretreatment; verify curing temperature profiles to guarantee adequate crosslinking; select specialized formulations with excellent resistance to moisture, heat, and thermal shock.
If you encounter any difficult-to-solve problems during the use of new energy powder coatings, please feel free to contact us at any time for professional technical support and to jointly discuss solutions to advance the powder coating industry.
We hope this article provides you with a professional and reliable reference on the powder coating industry. We sincerely welcome your inquiries regarding product performance, industry standards, usage methods, precautions, or any related questions. Feel free to leave a message or contact us directly, and we will be happy to provide you with more detailed product information, demonstration videos, or customized solutions to help you fully understand the features and benefits of our products.
