This will open up further areas of application for NFK.
As part of our
Impulsprojekt 2 Forschungsschwerpunkt 2: Umweltgerechte Verfahren zur Applikation von Funktionsschichten für komplex belastete NFK-Bauteile , LaNDER³ has been conducting intensive research in the field of surface finishing, including the powder coating of natural fiber-reinforced plastics (NFK), together with the ITN+IOT joint institute in recent years.
NFRPs are becoming increasingly popular due to their wide range of applications. In order to open up further areas of application, the researchers at LaNDER³ and the ITN+IOT have been working on a process for the environmentally friendly powder coating of NFRP.
The main focus of the research was the generation of the necessary surface conductivity, which delivers extremely reliable and satisfactory results on the basis of specially developed methods.
After intensive work, the research has now come to the conclusion that powder coating of NFRP is possible without any problems and that the type of fiber used does not play a significant role. However, it is extremely important for the application of the process that both the fibers and the components are dried prior to powder coating. For example, to ensure that the blended fibers (hemp, flax, miscanthus) are dry before the shaping process, they were annealed in advance at 150°C for 24 hours in a drying oven.
The NFK were finished firstly with a polyurethane-based lacquer, which has a chrome-silver-colored, high-gloss character, and secondly with an acrylic powder coating, which gives the surface a black look.
Both paints were very well accepted on the surface and then baked at 160°C for 30 minutes.
The painted components delivered a very good result in terms of appearance, flow and gloss.
Using a simple scratch test with a sharp knife, they also show very good adhesion behavior.
