Colors/Finishes External Roller Shades Custom

The different finishes that can be applied to aluminum can be broken down into three main categories:

- Anodized finishes

- Fluoropolymer coatings

- Polyester powder coated finishes

Anodized finishes

Anodizing is a general term used to describe the process of converting the surface of an aluminum component to aluminum oxide. Anodizing is a carefully controlled process that produces a uniform oxide coating that is thicker and more consistent than that which would occur naturally.

An anodized finish is very long lasting and protects the component from environmental attack and also provides extremely good protection from the sun’s ultra-violet rays. Additionally, an anodized surface resists scratching and abrasion.

Fluoropolymer coatings

Fluoropolymer coatings are liquid paints that contain between 50 and 70% by weight of the fluoropolymer resin called polyvinylidene fluoride or PVDF. The majority of PVDF manufactured in the US is proced by Elf Atochem (Kynar) and Ausimont USA (Hylar). The other components of the paint are a pigment which supplies the color and a solvent which allows the resin and pigment to be mixed and applied to the surface. The solvent evaporates allowing the resin and pigment to form a dry film coating on the surface. The evaporation of the solvent forms VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) and as a result, these paints are not environmentally friendly.

The main advantages of a fluoropolymer finish are as follows:

a. The PVDF resin is chemically inert and as a result the finishes are very durable

b. Adding aluminum or mica flakes provides a very good metallic finish

c. UV performance is extremely good

Polyester powder coated finishes

Polyester powder coated (PPC) finishes are, as the name implies, applied as a powder and as a result, they do not require any solvents and do not emit any VOC’s. As a result, these finishes are environmentally friendly, require less energy to apply and have low levels of waste as overspray can be recovered and re-used.

Historically, PPC finishes did not perform as well as fluoropolymer ones, in particular with regard to UV performance and color retention. The PPC suppliers have developed new powders and as a result, PPC is comparable with a fluoropolymer finish in most respects and finishes such as Interpon D2000 meet AAMA 2604. Color retention over 5 years, as measured by the South Florida exposure are equivalent to, or better than fluoropolymer coatings and PPC finishes have excellent durability, mechanical properties and abrasion resistance.