Galvanize – Types of Galvanizing, properties, Benefits of Galvanizing:
What is Galvanize?
Galvanizing is a coating that protects metal against corrosion. It also can improve the corrosion resistance of the base metal by giving it a layer of zinc. The galvanized coating serves as an additional barrier between steel’s exposed surfaces of steel during exposure to atmospheric moisture or oxygen-rich atmospheres such as high humidity, marine environment, and air pollution. The zinc layer on top of the steel increases its resistance to acid attack.
Galvanizing increases corrosion resistance and helps protect the metal from rusting when exposed to air or water.
Galvanization is an alloy of zinc and copper, usually 90% zinc and 10% copper. The zinc provides corrosion resistance while the copper acts as a stabilizer to prevent oxidation.
Types of Galvanizing Process:
Galvanizing can be done in different ways depending on the thickness of the metal being galvanized. The most common way is through an electroplating process, which uses a combination of zinc and silver ions to coat a metal surface with a layer of zinc oxide.
The second process is by hot dipping, which involves immersing a piece of steel in molten zinc or tin for several seconds at high temperatures before it is allowed to cool and harden.
The third process is immersion, where metals are submerged in molten zinc or tin before they are allowed to cool and harden. It’s also possible to use electroplating only on one side of the material while it’s immersed in molten metal, resulting in an uncoated alloy called galvanoplastic coating (GPC).
Application of Galvanizing:
It is applied in various industries like transportation, shipbuilding, mining, and construction. The most common application areas are railroad cars, automobiles, farm equipment, and other products that are exposed to water or air.
The Benefits of Galvanizing:
1. The product is non-corrosive, and therefore it can be used in water as well as for electrical work.
2. It’s easy to apply, the process involves only a few steps and you don’t need any special tools or equipment to do so.
3. You can use different colors and patterns to create attractive and eye-catching results that will attract attention from potential customers and increase their interest in your products or services.
4. Galvanized steel doesn’t rust easily which makes it more durable than other types of metal commonly used for galvanizing purposes.
5 . It can be welded with other metals without causing damage due to the fact that the surface of galvanized metal is treated with zinc oxide before being coated with anodized coloration which acts as a barrier against corrosion of the two metals when they are bonded together at temperatures above 350°F (177°C).
6 . Galvanized steel is not affected by acidic substances such as hydrochloric acid or sulphuric acid because its protective coating prevents any contact between them, making it suitable for use in all sorts of industrial applications where acids may be present within the environment, including marine environments such as ships, boilers, etc.
