Steel ©Frederik Laux Like a mirror

Like a mirror

It looks like chrome, but it’s actually paint. Now Wörwag is offering a chrome coating in powder form that achieves unprecedented results. In combination with the equally new universal clear coat, the range of possible applications is endless.

Recently, Michael Fiedler went so far as to experiment in the kitchen. Figuratively, in any case. For testing purposes, the powder coating developer coated the plastic covers of household appliances with a chrome coating. The result: “a premium appearance with a good cost/benefit ratio.”

You can almost use it as a mirror. This detour into the kitchen was just one of many efforts to explore the potential applications of the coating system. In recent months, Fiedler’s team has coated just about everything that it could get its hands on: office implements, metal balls, bicycle frames, radiators, chair legs. The appearance outshines all else. If you want the mirror effect, this paint does the trick.

Fiedler’s conclusion: “There is no shinier paint than this.”

Glanz im Klassenzimmer: Mit dem neuen Chromlack sollen sogar Schulmöbel lackiert werden. ©Shutterstock

Shine in the classroom: the new chrome paint could be used for school furniture

The new product will presumably be used primarily in the industrial coating of steel surfaces for interior spaces. Wörwag simultaneously developed the corresponding polyester clear coat.

“We anticipate that it will become the product of choice across a broad range of applications. In particular for our regular customers who use our current polyester coating, as well as with chrome paint,” explains Fiedler. Compatibility with the existing product range is a key factor. Wörwag aims to launch the universal clear coat sometime this year. It would be suitable for elements like the components of high-quality office furniture such as chair or table legs—particularly in conjunction with the chrome paint.

Wörwag has tapped the full potential of the technology behind the chrome paint. Large amounts of aluminum pigments are mixed into the product. During curing, they rise to the surface and create the shiny effect. To ensure that the color tone is right, the ingredients are not mixed in powder form, but first liquefied, melted, and pressed into a plate. Once they’ve hardened, the plates are then ground back into powder.

Michael Fiedler

is Wörwag’s powder coating expert. He and his team developed the chrome paint and coated a multitude of different objects with it for testing purposes. On the subject of steel, his first thought is: “I should go to the gym one of these days.”

Photos: Frederik Laux; Shutterstock