Power Distribution Materials Buyer Checklist

“Corrosion-resistant coating.” “Electrical grease.” “Or equivalent.” 

All perfectly reasonable phrases. Also, plenty of room for engineering, purchasing and maintenance to arrive at three different interpretations of the same specification. 

For power distribution equipment, the details matter. A coated component needs to withstand its operating environment. A switching mechanism needs to move as intended. An electrical interface needs the right combination of contact performance, insulation or moisture protection for its design. 

The goal is to make those requirements clear before the equipment is built, the material is ordered or an alternate is proposed. This checklist walks through what to qualify, what to specify and what to confirm with your supplier when evaluating Rilsan^® protective coatings and MOLYKOTE^® specialty lubricants. 

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Start with the failure mode 

Before comparing products, identify what could prevent the component from doing its job. Be specific: corrosion on exposed metal, coating damage during installation, wear in a linkage, moisture at a connection or a seal that no longer performs as intended. 

Then document the conditions the material will actually encounter: 

• Component and materials: Identify the substrate, contact surfaces, plastics and elastomers. 
• Electrical function: Define which areas must conduct, which must insulate and where the material will be applied. 
• Environment: Include moisture, condensation, outdoor exposure, temperature cycling and relevant chemicals or cleaners. 
• Mechanical duty: Account for movement, load, vibration, impact and abrasion. 
• Service expectations: Define inspection access, maintenance intervals and applicable OEM or utility requirements. 

“Outdoor service” is a starting point. A sheltered cabinet and exposed equipment in a coastal environment deserve a more detailed conversation. 

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Where protective coatings fit 

For a metal component, evaluate whether the design needs a durable protective barrier, electrical insulation or both. 

Rilsan^® PA11 Fine Powder coatings are candidates for applications requiring resistance to corrosion, chemicals, abrasion and impact. Arkema identifies busbars, connectors, switchgear and other electrical components among its applications. Suitability depends on the selected grade and the finished coated-part design.

That last detail matters. A powder’s properties do not, by themselves, qualify a coated assembly. The specification also needs to address coating coverage, thickness, preparation and the areas that must remain uncoated. 

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Your Rilsan^® specification checklist 

Before approving the coating, confirm: 

☐  Substrate: What metal or alloy is being coated, and what condition is it in? 
☐  Exposure: Which moisture, UV, temperature, chemical and mechanical conditions must the coating withstand? 
☐  Electrical requirements: What insulation performance, thickness and applicable approvals does the design require? Where must conductive surfaces remain exposed? 
☐  Application process: Which grade and process fit the part geometry and coating requirements? 
☐  Surface preparation: What cleaning, pretreatment and primer requirements apply to the selected system? 
☐  Acceptance criteria: How will coating coverage, thickness, adhesion and required electrical performance be verified? 

Arkema offers grades for processes including fluidized-bed dipping and electrostatic spraying, and emphasizes the importance of preliminary surface treatment to coating life. Specify the material and the process together. Confirm primer requirements for the selected grade rather than assuming every Rilsan system uses the same preparation. 

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Where specialty lubrication fits 

Move from the protected surface to the interfaces that need to move, seal or maintain their intended electrical function. 

A breaker operating linkage, an electrical connector and an O-ring can all need material-selection attention. Each presents a different job for the lubricant or compound. 

The MOLYKOTE^® portfolio includes products for electrical applications such as contacts, switches and connectors. DuPont distinguishes applications requiring conductive lubricants from those requiring dielectric solutions. “Electrical grease” alone does not tell you which function a product is intended to perform.

It also helps to avoid an overly simple rule about contact surfaces. DuPont identifies certain high-voltage contact applications for the nonconductive MOLYKOTE^® 5 Compound. That's why you should evaluate the actual interface and OEM guidance, rather than choosing solely between “conductive” and “dielectric.” 

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Your MOLYKOTE^® specification checklist 

Start with the exact application location, then qualify: 

☐  Electrical behavior: What must the interface do, and has the product been qualified for that location? 
☐  Operating duty: What movement, load, speed and temperature range must it accommodate? 
☐  Environmental protection: What water exposure, condensation, corrosion or contamination concerns apply? 
☐  Compatibility: Which metals, polymers, elastomers, coatings and existing lubricants will it contact? 
☐  Application instructions: What quantity, placement and assembly method are required? 
☐  Maintenance: What inspection or relubrication interval does the equipment manufacturer require? 

A useful specification tells the person assembling or servicing the equipment where the material belongs and how to apply it. The product name is only part of that instruction. 

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Check compatibility before the specification is frozen 

Evaluate the materials together under the conditions the design will encounter. A coating’s compatibility with its substrate and preparation system is one question. A lubricant’s compatibility with an adjacent seal, plastic component or coating is another. 

Include assembly order in that review. Will lubricant contact a surface that must later be painted or bonded? Could it reach an electrical surface where it has not been qualified? Are the coating and lubricant being evaluated at the intended operating temperature? 

Use supplier guidance to narrow the choices, then define the testing the design requires. Where compatibility is critical or uncertain, qualify the actual material combination rather than relying on a broad description such as “compatible with rubber.” 

The useful question is: compatible with which rubber, under which conditions?

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Write a specification that can survive a substitution request 

“Or equivalent” gets much easier to manage when the specification defines what equivalent means. 

Give engineering and purchasing the same basis for evaluating the original material and any proposed alternate: 

Application: The component, substrate and precise interface. 
Performance: The corrosion, wear, electrical and compatibility requirements that matter to this design. 
Operating limits: The expected environment and service conditions. 
Process: Coating preparation and thickness, or lubricant placement and quantity. 
Qualification: The test methods, acceptance criteria and required documentation. 
Approval: The qualified product and grade, plus who must approve a change. 

Use technical data sheets to inform selection, and establish acceptance limits through the appropriate technical review. A published typical value and a guaranteed specification limit are different things. 

This gives a proposed alternate something concrete to be measured against. “Same general chemistry” becomes the beginning of the review, rather than the approval. 

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Confirm sourcing before releasing the design 

The drawing may be finished. The sourcing work still needs to be finished with it. 

Before release, confirm the exact grade, project geography, package size, expected quantities and required documentation. For coatings, identify who will apply the material and whether that applicator supports the specified process and qualification samples. 

Also define how the material will be supported after installation. Maintenance teams need clear product identification and application instructions; purchasing needs a controlled path for evaluating alternates. 

These are easier conversations to have before someone is waiting for a shipment with the commissioning date circled on the calendar. 

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The final check before approval 

Before signing off, make sure you can answer yes to each item: 

☐  We have defined the failure mode and operating conditions. 
☐  We have identified the component materials and required electrical function. 
☐  We have reviewed compatibility and grade-specific technical information. 
☐  We have documented the application process and acceptance criteria. 
☐  We have completed the required qualification and technical review. 
☐  We have confirmed sourcing and applicator requirements where applicable. 
☐  We have defined who approves substitutions and how they are evaluated. 

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Before you freeze the spec validate the materials 

If you are evaluating a protective coating or specialty lubricant for power distribution equipment, bring us the component, substrate, operating environment and performance requirements. An existing specification or proposed material is helpful, too. 

At ChemPoint, we can help narrow the Rilsan^® or MOLYKOTE^® options and identify the technical information needed for your qualification process. You do not need to arrive with a grade already selected. That is a useful conversation to have while the specification is still being developed. 

Request product selection guidance from ChemPoint.