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Cerakote

Paint, powder & polymer coatings · Spray applied

Cerakote is a trademarked ceramic-polymer thin-film coating supplied in product-specific air-cure and oven-cure series.

CNC machiningSheet metalPremium cost $$$Insulating
Quote a part with CerakoteCompare paint, powder & polymer coatings
Cerakote on a machined part

What is Cerakote?

It is selected for durable color, chemical resistance, and low dimensional buildup on metal hardware.

How it works

The substrate is degreased, abrasive blasted to a controlled profile, cleaned, and spray coated with the selected Cerakote formulation. H-Series material crosslinks during an oven cure; the resin binds dispersed ceramic constituents into a thin continuous film. Applicators control viscosity, gun setup, flash time, and cure schedule by the product data sheet. Unlike a ceramic thermal spray, this is a thin organic-inorganic paint system rather than a thick deposited ceramic layer.

Why specify it

  • H-Series is commonly applied near 25 µm dry-film thickness
  • Thin film preserves markings and sharper feature definition than powder coat
  • Broad color and low-gloss options support cosmetic hardware
  • Published product positioning includes chemical, corrosion, and abrasion resistance

Where it falls short

  • Performance is product- and applicator-dependent
  • Impact can chip the film at unrounded edges
  • Oven-cure products are unsuitable for heat-sensitive assembled parts
  • Sliding fits and threads still need masking despite the thin film

Cerakote at a glance

Cerakote is strongest on corrosion protection (83 of 100) and cosmetic quality (88 of 100), at a premium cost.

Corrosion protectionVery good83 / 100
Surface hardnessLow27 / 100
Cosmetic qualityExcellent88 / 100
LubricityLow30 / 100
Relative costPremium55 / 100
CorrosionHardnessCosmeticLubricityEconomy

Each score is 0–100 against every finish in this catalog. Corrosion comes from salt-spray life (ASTM B117, log scale) and hardness from the finish layer's Vickers or pencil hardness; cosmetic, lubricity and cost are FabDigit's engineering assessment. Economy on the radar is the inverse of cost.

Cerakote key numbers

Typical values from the governing specifications and shop practice; bars are this finish against the highest value among paint, powder & polymer coatings finishes.

Thickness20–30 µm0.79–1.2 mil
Salt spray500–1,000 h
Max service temp.200 °C392 °F
Thickness
Approximately 25 µm for many H-Series applications
Hardness
9H pencil hardness (ASTM D3363) — manufacturer data for H-Series ceramic coating
Corrosion (salt spray)
500–1,000 h per ASTM B117 on blast-cleaned steel, ≈ 25 µm H-Series single coat (typical range; manufacturer reports over 1,000 h) — Manufacturer data; surface preparation and film build are the controlling variables, and a single 25 µm coat has no sacrificial metal under it.
Electrical
Insulating
Colours
  • black
  • gray
  • tan
  • green
  • blue
  • red
  • custom product color
Appearance
Usually matte to satin with a fine sprayed texture; exact color and gloss depend on the named product.

Where Cerakote sits among all finishes

Surface hardness (Vickers, log scale) against corrosion protection (salt-spray hours, log scale) for every coating FabDigit offers, one cloud per finish group. Cerakote is highlighted; hover a dot for its name or open the full map.

02550751000255075100Corrosion protection (0–100)Surface hardness (HV, log scale, 0–100)Plating — 19 finishesHard coatings — 17 finishesAnodize & conversion — 8 finishesPaint & powder — 7 finisheshard, low corrosion protectionhard and protectiveprotective, softsoft, little protectionType II anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 54BSA anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 52Type I anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 49Hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61PTFE hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61Nitriding — corrosion 55, hardness 73PEO — corrosion 70, hardness 74Sherardizing — corrosion 83, hardness 56Brass plate — corrosion 35, hardness 44Bronze plate — corrosion 40, hardness 49Cadmium plate — corrosion 70, hardness 26Copper plate — corrosion 32, hardness 39Decorative chrome — corrosion 64, hardness 71Electroless copper — corrosion 20, hardness 41Electroless nickel — corrosion 70, hardness 68Nickel plate — corrosion 51, hardness 55Gold plate — corrosion 68, hardness 39Hard chrome — corrosion 40, hardness 73Hot-dip zinc — corrosion 90, hardness 42Nickel-PTFE — corrosion 72, hardness 57Silver plate — corrosion 55, hardness 39Solder plate — corrosion 42, hardness 9Tin plate — corrosion 34, hardness 0Zinc plate — corrosion 60, hardness 30Zinc-nickel — corrosion 86, hardness 60E-coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Epoxy coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Powder coat — corrosion 83, hardness 14Wet paint — corrosion 59, hardness 10AlCrN PVD — corrosion 58, hardness 93AlTiN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 94CrN PVD — corrosion 62, hardness 83DLC — corrosion 55, hardness 93MoS2 PVD — corrosion 20, hardness 26TiAlN PVD — corrosion 50, hardness 93TiCN PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 92TiB2 PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 94TiN PVD — corrosion 45, hardness 87WC/C PVD — corrosion 48, hardness 77ZrN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 90CVD alumina — corrosion 70, hardness 85CVD TiCN — corrosion 38, hardness 92CVD TiN — corrosion 45, hardness 87Multilayer CVD — corrosion 62, hardness 88HVOF coating — corrosion 78, hardness 77Plasma spray — corrosion 60, hardness 68Plastic chrome — corrosion 72, hardness 71Electroless plastic — corrosion 58, hardness 39Clear coat — corrosion 20, hardness 12Soft-touch — corrosion 20, hardness 5PLATINGHARD COATINGSANODIZE & CONVERSIONPAINT & POWDERPowder coatWet paintType II anodizeZinc plateZinc-nickelHard chromeDLCTiN PVDTin plateCadmium plateE-coatHot-dip zincNitridingHVOF coatingCerakote — corrosion 83, hardness 27Cerakote
02550751000255075100Corrosion protection (0–100)Surface hardness (HV, log scale, 0–100)Plating — 19 finishesHard coatings — 17 finishesAnodize & conversion — 8 finishesPaint & powder — 7 finishesType II anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 54BSA anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 52Type I anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 49Hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61PTFE hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61Nitriding — corrosion 55, hardness 73PEO — corrosion 70, hardness 74Sherardizing — corrosion 83, hardness 56Brass plate — corrosion 35, hardness 44Bronze plate — corrosion 40, hardness 49Cadmium plate — corrosion 70, hardness 26Copper plate — corrosion 32, hardness 39Decorative chrome — corrosion 64, hardness 71Electroless copper — corrosion 20, hardness 41Electroless nickel — corrosion 70, hardness 68Nickel plate — corrosion 51, hardness 55Gold plate — corrosion 68, hardness 39Hard chrome — corrosion 40, hardness 73Hot-dip zinc — corrosion 90, hardness 42Nickel-PTFE — corrosion 72, hardness 57Silver plate — corrosion 55, hardness 39Solder plate — corrosion 42, hardness 9Tin plate — corrosion 34, hardness 0Zinc plate — corrosion 60, hardness 30Zinc-nickel — corrosion 86, hardness 60E-coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Epoxy coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Powder coat — corrosion 83, hardness 14Wet paint — corrosion 59, hardness 10AlCrN PVD — corrosion 58, hardness 93AlTiN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 94CrN PVD — corrosion 62, hardness 83DLC — corrosion 55, hardness 93MoS2 PVD — corrosion 20, hardness 26TiAlN PVD — corrosion 50, hardness 93TiCN PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 92TiB2 PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 94TiN PVD — corrosion 45, hardness 87WC/C PVD — corrosion 48, hardness 77ZrN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 90CVD alumina — corrosion 70, hardness 85CVD TiCN — corrosion 38, hardness 92CVD TiN — corrosion 45, hardness 87Multilayer CVD — corrosion 62, hardness 88HVOF coating — corrosion 78, hardness 77Plasma spray — corrosion 60, hardness 68Plastic chrome — corrosion 72, hardness 71Electroless plastic — corrosion 58, hardness 39Clear coat — corrosion 20, hardness 12Soft-touch — corrosion 20, hardness 5PLATINGHARD COATINGSANODIZE & CONVERSIONPAINT & POWDERPowder coatWet paintZinc plateCerakote — corrosion 83, hardness 27Cerakote
Anodize & conversionPlatingPaint & powderHard coatings

Specifications for Cerakote

The documents a drawing cites to define this finish, with the Type / Class rows that apply. Each links to a page explaining the standard.

Drawing call-out

CERAKOTE H-SERIES H-146 GRAPHITE BLACK, 25 µm NOMINAL DFT, CURE 120 °C PER MANUFACTURER DATA SHEET; MASK THREADS AND BEARING BORES

Which materials take Cerakote?

Verdict per material family, with the grades that behave differently. Each family links to its datasheets in the material library.

Material familyVerdictNotes
Aluminum
YesCommon substrate after controlled abrasive blasting.
DMLS / SLM
YesMetal AM parts are commonly Cerakote-finished after blast.
Stainless Steel
YesBlast profile is important for mechanical adhesion.
Steel
YesPreparation must remove oil, scale, and corrosion.
Titanium
YesUse the applicator's validated preparation route.
Brass
With careNeeds a qualified blast profile and product.
Copper Alloy
With careAdhesion and cure must be validated; copper can stain some films.
Magnesium Alloy
With careUse a validated pretreatment and coat promptly.
Zinc Alloy
With careOutgassing and cure temperature require review.
MJF
LimitedOnly if the nylon survives the selected cure; not a standard offering.
Polymer
LimitedOnly product and cure schedules compatible with the polymer may be used.
SLS
LimitedOnly if the nylon survives the selected cure; not a standard offering.
FDM
NoH-Series oven cure exceeds most FDM resin limits.
SLA
NoH-Series oven cure exceeds most photopolymer limits.

How Cerakote is applied, and what it does to the part

  1. 1Disassemble as required
  2. 2Degrease
  3. 3Abrasive blast
  4. 4Clean and dry
  5. 5Mask
  6. 6Spray selected product
  7. 7Flash
  8. 8Cure to product data sheet
  9. 9Inspect
DimensionsBudget approximately 25 µm per coated side for H-Series unless the selected product data sheet states otherwise.
Build-up per side20–30 µm — The coating adds its dry-film thickness to each coated surface.
MaskingUsually needed. Mask bearing seats, sealing lands, electrical contacts, precision threads, and press fits.
ElectricalInsulating
Temperature limit200 °C (392 °F) continuous
AppearanceUsually matte to satin with a fine sprayed texture; exact color and gloss depend on the named product.
Added lead time4–8 working days on top of the bare part

Design rules for Cerakote

What to decide on the drawing before the part goes to the finisher.

  1. Name the exact Cerakote series and product code.Cure, thickness, temperature capability, and color differ across the trademarked range.
  2. Provide a hidden rack or handling location.Fresh thin film can be marked before cure.
  3. Mask all precision mating surfaces.A nominal 25 µm per side can consume fit clearance.
  4. Avoid knife-sharp exposed edges.Edge impact concentrates stress and starts chips.

Cerakote versus the alternatives

Finishes engineers weigh against Cerakote, and when each wins.

FinishCorrosionHardnessCosmeticCostThicknessChoose it when
Cerakote
this page
832788$$$20–30 µm—
Powder Coating
Cerakote vs Powder Coating →
831485$$50–150 µmwhen higher film build and robust outdoor metal coverage are preferred
Wet Painting
Cerakote vs Wet Painting →
591090$$20–80 µmwhen an open, non-proprietary paint system is required
CorrosionHardnessCosmeticLubricityEconomy
CerakotePowder Coating

The radar overlays Cerakote with Powder Coating, its most common alternative — chosen when higher film build and robust outdoor metal coverage are preferred. Scores in the table are 0–100 across every finish in the catalog.

Cost, lead time and compliance

Relative cost

Cerakote is a premium-cost finish ($$$): more expensive than about 63 % of the finishes FabDigit quotes.

Finishing is priced per part with a lot minimum, from FabDigit's own China-side rates cross-checked against US job-shop pricing. The exact figure appears on the instant quote once the part is uploaded.

Lead time and compliance

Added lead time4–8 working days
RoHSCompliant
NotesConfirm compliance for the exact color and product formulation.

What Cerakote is used for

  • Firearm components
  • Engine accessories
  • Tactical hardware
  • Knife hardware
  • Decorative machined enclosures

Cerakote — frequently asked

is Cerakote durable

Cerakote H-Series is a thin ceramic-polymer coating intended for abrasion, chemical, and corrosion resistance. Durability still depends strongly on blasting, film thickness near 25 µm, cure schedule, and edge geometry.

how thick is Cerakote

Many H-Series applications target approximately 25 µm dry-film thickness. That is much thinner than a typical 50–150 µm powder coat, but it still changes close fits.

Cerakote vs powder coating

Cerakote is typically around 25 µm and preserves fine details; powder coat commonly builds 50–150 µm and is often more economical for larger metal fabrications. Product selection should follow dimensional, outdoor exposure, and appearance requirements.

does Cerakote need an oven

H-Series uses an oven cure, with the exact temperature and time controlled by the selected product data sheet. Other Cerakote families can be air cured, so the series must be stated.

does Cerakote affect threads

Yes. Roughly 25 µm on each thread flank can tighten a close fit. Functional threads are generally masked unless the drawing provides coating allowance.