Powder coating. Part 3: An accident that invented low gloss black coating

In the fast-paced world of product development, it’s easy to get caught up in what seems like a sure thing. Sometimes, despite years of hard work and careful planning, things don't go according to the script. This is the story of how a simple mistake, combined with a lot of persistence and a touch of serendipity, led to one of the most significant breakthroughs in the powder coating industry.

In the early days of powder coating development, the two chemists, @John Slatford and Ken Watson, had committed themselves to what seemed like a sure bet: a glossy white coating. Market research had indicated that this was what the industry wanted, and they spent years meticulously perfecting this finish. They were confident that their glossy white product was going to be the next big thing in the market. But, as time went on, they quickly discovered that the market research had been wrong.

The customers weren't asking for glossy white finishes. Instead, they were demanding a low gloss black coating. It soon became apparent that achieving a low gloss black finish was not possible with the conventional methods they had been using. Techniques like oil absorption, which are common for paints, simply wouldn’t work for powder coatings. They needed a new approach.

The chemists decided that Compatibility might be the way to go. Tables showing compatibility were readily available, but a search would have to be done to find what was incompatible. Several different types of waxes were tried with varying success (some detracted from the electrostatic charge from the gun). The normal powder was cured with a modified Dicyandiamide, but John had been experimenting with an Anhydride-cured powder for use in ovens contaminated with Trichlorethylene, which caused bad yellowing with a white coating.

The big breakthrough came by pure accident! Only a small amount of the Anhydride powder was available in the laboratory, and a customer was requesting a large sample. Both powders were mixed together 1:1, as it was thought that enough of the properties would remain. Fortunately, it was sprayed out prior to sending it to the customer.

To the amazement of both chemists, when the sample was cured, the result was a perfect matt black finish—something that was nearly impossible to achieve at the time. They were stunned; what had been a mere experiment had transformed into something entirely new.

This unexpected result gave the company a market lead that lasted for several years. They had created a low gloss black finish that had been virtually unavailable before, and it was exactly what the market wanted. The happy accident, born out of frustration and necessity, ended up being the key to their success.

This breakthrough not only saved the company from the costly mistake of misreading market needs, but it also established them as a leader in powder coating technology. What started as a small misstep evolved into a giant leap for innovation, changing the trajectory of the company and shaping the industry for years to come. The rest, as they say, is history.

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