Process for producing powder paint particles from liquid paint i

Abstract

A process for producing powder paint particles, particularly metal-flakes containing powder paint particles, which comprises contacting the exposed surface of a stream of water in continuous movement through a spreading and extraction zone into a collection zone with a liquid dispersion of an organic paint binder and metal flakes in an organic solvent miscible with water wherein the organic paint binder is essentially insoluble in water and floats on the surface for a time sufficient to admit of its spreading on such surface, extraction of organic solvent from the floating liquid paint dispersion into the water, and solidification of the paint binder on such surface into plate-like solids containing said metal flakes within said spreading and extraction zone, and movement of the saline solution and floating plate-like solids into said collection zone wherein the plate-like solids are broken into smaller particles and recovered. In the preferred embodiment, the plate-like solids pass with the saline solution into a collection zone wherein breaking up of the plate-like solids, is, at least in part, effected by agitation of the water. In the preferred embodiment, the liquid dispersion is applied to the surface of the water in discreet droplets. The paint binder-coated metal flakes and particles which do not contain metal flakes are both suitable for use in powder paints.