Patent ID: 7622072

Claim:
A process for preparing composite particles for a powder coating composition, comprising the steps of: a. providing a first particle component comprising a plurality of first particles, wherein the first plurality of particles comprises a thermosetting, film-forming resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg); b. providing a second particle component comprising a plurality of second particles; c. mixing the first and second particle components to form a particle mixture; d. fluidizing said particle mixture; and e. transporting a flow of the fluidized particle mixture through a heating zone such that the fluidized particle mixture enters the heating zone to begin a heating event and exits the zone to end the heating event, said heating event occurring under conditions effective to fuse the first particles to the second particles to provide a plurality of composite particles, wherein the heating zone is at a temperature that is at least 100° F. greater than the Tg of said thermosetting, film-forming resin but the residence time of the thermosetting resin in the heating zone is sufficiently short such that the composite particles retain thermosetting characteristics and can be melted and cured when the composite particles are subsequently coated onto a substrate.