With the European Green Deal, the EU is focusing on the sustainable use of resources in the circular economy. This results in the demand to make more use of the recycling potential of aluminum - also and especially in the construction sector. An increased recycling share and thus the changed composition of aluminum means a challenge for the surface finishing industry. The goal is to maintain the proven corrosion protection to the full extent through the refined surfaces and thus ensure the longevity of the construction elements. With the introduction of the QUALICOAT 3.0 label, the Association for Quality Control in the Lacquering, Painting and Coating Industry (QUALICOAT) and the Verband für die Oberflächenveredelung von Aluminium e. V. (VOA), as general licensees in Germany, are making a contribution to the sustainable use of aluminum in the construction sector.
Corrosion protection is a decisive factor for the longevity of a powder-coated building product. This is influenced both by the nature of the base material and by the surface finishing process. The incorporation of post-consumer scrap will result in higher levels of foreign metal contamination in the future. On the basis of material samples collected worldwide, QUALICOAT was therefore the first international quality organization to develop a property profile and a test method for assessing the properties and coatability of aluminum, incorporating extensive research findings from the industry and in consultation with the international aluminum industry.