Electrostatic coating

A type of spray painting method developed by American Harold P. Ransburg (1911-91) in 1940. The method uses the grounded object to be painted as the positive electrode and the paint spraying device as the negative electrode, applies a high DC voltage (70 to 100 kilovolts) to create an electrostatic field between the two electrodes, negatively charging the paint particles, which fly along the electric field lines and are then applied to the positive electrode.

Compared to conventional methods, this method of painting has many advantages, including paint savings, faster painting speed, labor savings, reduced pollution, and improved working environment, and is now widely used to paint automobile and motorcycle bodies and related parts, railroad cars, home appliances, steel office equipment, housing-related parts, and other mass-produced industrial products. Electrostatic painting equipment includes electrostatic atomization methods that use static electricity to atomize the paint, and gun-type painters that use mechanical forces such as compressed air. The former mainly use rotating disk-type electrodes and have high coating efficiency. The latter has slightly lower coating efficiency, but is easy to handle and has excellent uniform coating properties.

[Mitsuo Okahara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1940年アメリカのランズバーグHarold P. Ransburg（1911―91）により開発されたスプレー塗装法の一種。アースした被塗物を正極、塗料噴霧装置を負極とし、直流高電圧（70キロ～100キロボルト）をかけて両極間に静電界をつくり、塗料微粒子を負に帯電させて、電気力線に沿って飛行させ、正極の被塗物に塗着させる塗装法。

　この方法での塗装は、従来の方法に比べ、塗料の節減、塗装速度の向上、省力化、公害の低減、作業環境の改善など多くの利点をもつため、自動車、オートバイ車体および関連部品、鉄道車両、家電製品、スチール事務機器、住宅関連部品その他大量生産の工業製品の塗装に、現在広く採用されている。静電塗装装置には、塗料の微粒子化を静電気の力で行う静電霧化方式と、圧縮空気など機械的な力を利用するガン型塗装機があり、前者は主として回転円盤型電極を使用し、塗着効率が高い。後者は塗着効率はやや落ちるが、取扱いが手軽で均一塗装性が優れている。

［岡原光男］

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