Elektrolakk

Elektrolakk, or electrodeposited lacquer, is a coating technology in which lacquer particles dispersed in water are deposited onto a conductive substrate under an electric field. The deposited film is then cured by heating to form a durable protective layer. The process can be conducted as cathodic or anodic deposition, with cathodic (opposite charge to the substrate) being the most common for metal parts because of superior corrosion resistance and coating quality.

Typical process steps include surface pretreatment (degreasing and conversion coating to improve adhesion), immersion of the part in a lacquer bath, application of the electric current to drive the lacquer onto the surface, rinsing, and drying before a bake cycle to cure the film. The resulting coatings are usually waterborne lacquers based on acrylics, polyurethanes, or similar resins, and film thickness commonly ranges from a few to several tens of micrometers.

Advantages of elektrolakk include very uniform coating thickness on complex geometries, excellent corrosion protection, strong adhesion, and lower volatile organic compound emissions due to waterborne systems. Disadvantages include significant capital investment in equipment and tank lines, process control requirements, and energy consumption for deposition and baking.

Applications are widespread in metal finishing, notably as primer coats in the automotive industry, as protective coatings for appliances and architectural metalwork, and for other high-surface-area parts requiring reliable corrosion resistance. Electrodeposition coatings have evolved with environmental regulations toward lower VOCs and more durable, one-coat finishing options.