duracoat is a single part epoxy paint finish. It is the same ****ing thing as Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy Paint that you can buy at home depot for $5 a can.
epoxy based paints have high molecular cohesion: the paint likes to stick to itself. This makes the surface almost flexible- and it makes the surface finish highly resistant to abrasion. It also minimized cosmetic damage due to impact (scratching, etc). As with ALL paints, it will scratch if you're motivate enough with it.
Cerakote and duracoat is entirely different shit, but both qualify as "epoxies." Cerakote uses ceramic based thermoset fillers, and is activated via heat. You need heat to "melt" and cause the thermoset to bond. Cerakote is an "epoxy" that requires letent hardening. Duracoat does not. And I'll tell you why.
Duracoat's binder is a polymer that has epoxide groups. These epoxide groups bind to each other (cross-link) through reactions with phenols, heat, and other methods of curing. In Duracoat's (Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy's) case, it reacts through a little bit of both (from what I can tell)- it cross links with ions from the air, mostly. Heat tends to harden the surface from my personal experience, but I'm not sure if it's due to the molecules crosslinking with heat (like a thermoset) or if it's the heat removing additional solvent from the painted surface.
The solvent for the binder is an alcohol. Given that Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy claims you can just let it air dry, I think that it actually bonds with H ions from the air, or from humid air. Not sure how this works. If the solvent is water based, and it's actually reacting with Oxygen from the air, then it's technically not an "epoxy" but it still crosslinks, and still works generally the same way: The fact that it can cure, without heat, leads me to believe that Duracoat/appliance epoxy may actually be an enamel that reacts with moisture in the air for the cross-linking of the paint binder. And heat actually just accelerates the evaporation of the solvent, or binder carrier.
I keep telling myself this, but then when I leave one of my super bad-assed AK's sitting in the sun, unattended, for hours at a time, the paint chalks. And then I go back to thinking "holy ****, this shit really is an epoxy." Which leads me back around the merry-go-round. Either way, whether it's a polymer based enamel, or a epoxide group polymer that crosslinks with H ions/heat, it would still have similar mechanical properties given the nature of how little expoxide based polymer would have to flow in order to be applied in a single coat, out of an aerosol can.
I always bake the shit out of "single part" epoxy paints, and it seems to cross link (cure) the molecules just fine after baking.
How do you know this, flintoid?
Well, curing tests are very simple: if you can add the solvent (thinner, or whatever is mixed with the binder/vehicle of the paint in order to apply it) and the painted surface doesn't smear, or smudge, or soften, then your paint is cured.
On laquer paints, it will always mix and smear, as that type of paint relies on the evaporation of the solvent in order to "cure" the paint, or leave behind the binder. This is why you don't paint guns with laquers.
Anyways, just be sure that if your'e putting this on plastic, that you intend to keep it there forever. Getting this shit off plastic is tough. Like I said earlier- this single part epoxy paint has high molecular cohesion. It likes to stick to itself. And once it's cured, this shit resists alcohol and chemicals like the plague. In order to get it off, you have to use paint thinners that are strong enough that they damage plastic. So- if you're putting it on plastic, make sure you want it there, or you're ok with throwing it away when you're tired of it.
and, as usual: don't PM me with questions about this. Unless you are a green member. Then I'll share more of my professional experience with you.
I mostly post this shit to help inform people that Duracoat is actually over-priced horseshit. It's one of the more ridiculous scams that hits the gun industry. Gun owners are very gullible when marketing tosses words around like "super tough" "indestructible" "chemical resistant" "corrosion resistant" etc....
you know what is all of those things plus "endlessly enormous"? My dick.