AMETEK stainless steel flake is manufactured from premium quality 316L stainless steel raw materials. We employ a unique milling process in our dedicated and proprietary batch production area to produce a flattened 316L particle that makes a “leaf” product or flake. As we produce the raw material in-house, our input material is abundant and controlled to the highest quality.
Products and Sizes
Our 316L stainless steel flake is available as three product forms:
- Fine Grade Leaf: typical size ~25µm
- Standard Grade Leaf: typical size 50-60µm
- Stainless Steel Paste: Special grade with 10% mineral spirits
| Typical Flake Properties
|
| PRODUCT |
PARTICLE SIZE |
APPARENT DENSITY |
FLAKE THICKNESS |
| Fine Leafing |
>75% -45 m |
0.6 - 1.2 g/cc |
0.6 - 1.2 m |
| Standard Leafing |
>75% +45 m |
>0.8 g/cc |
>0.5 m |
Advantages
Our stainless steel flake products are used for high-performance
protective coatings and decorative applications. Advantages include:
- Excellent corrosion resistance to alkaline cleaners, detergents, salt spray, and acid spotting
- Outstanding abrasion resistance and toughness compared to traditional paints
- No chalking or tarnish
- High specular reflectance and look of stainless steel
- Will not form hydrogen in water-borne coatings thereby eliminating the popping of can lids from gassing
Applications
AMETEK Stainless steel flake products are primarily used in many different markets for
high performance paints and industrial coatings applications.
- Maintenance Coatings: Corrosion protection for food and pharmaceutical processing plants, and equipment exposed to extreme elements.
- Powder Coatings: Automotive trim, wheels, and under the hood parts. Outdoor furniture and bicycles.
- Architectural Coatings: Provides a stainless steel look to masonry and exposed metal.
- Cookware Coatings: Promotes abrasion resistance and heat transfer in non-stick coatings.
Solvent Systems
Leafing pigments are capable of concentrating at the surface of a paint film, where particles overlap each other, creating a metallic appearance.
Water-Borne Systems
Stainless steel flake is particularly useful because it will not form hydrogen when incorporated into water-borne coatings and consequently will not cause gassing.
Lower Explosive Limits
Tests conducted by an independent laboratory show stainless steel to be stable in powder coatings. The US Bureau of Mines categorizes explosion hazards of materials as None, Weak, Moderate, Strong and Severe. Stainless Steel falls into the "none" Category.