Why galvanize

Sideways creep can severely undermine paint coatings and is caused as rust deposits accumulate on bare steel and spread underneath and across the paint film. Left untreated, sideways creep will produce peeling and the eventual breakdown of the paint coating. Hot dip galvanizing prevents this kind of deterioration. Galvanizing is not a time-consuming process and in reality, it takes just a few minutes to dip prepared steelwork into molten zinc to form a durable, reliable coating.

Preparation of the steel need not take long either, but it must be thorough. Plus, if your galvanizing is prioritised in the same way that other parts of a project are, hot dip galvanizing will be a seamless, time-efficient process. The actual process of dipping steel in molten zinc is in itself a straightforward, relatively immediate process, but for maximum efficiency, simple preparation is required. Firstly, steel must be grease and corrosion free, so it is hung on jigs and cleaned, rinsed and fluxed.

The metallurgical reaction occurs in a matter of minutes, with the whole galvanizing procedure taking only a few hours. In practice of course, there are many orders being processed at a galvanizing plant at any one time, so the typical turnaround for hot dip galvanizing is about three days. T urnaround time can be minimized if you follow a few simple steps.

The design of the component may be important for successful galvanizing and early consultation between galvanizer, fabricator and designer is the key to obtaining the best result. The bath dimensions noted within the galvanizers directory link below indicate the length, depth and width of the galvanizing bath s at each works. These bath dimensions give an indication of maximum size of fabrication which can be processed at that plant.

It is important to recognise that these dimensions do not, in themselves, represent the maximum size of fabrication which can be dipped. Find out more details and see who your local galvanizer is. What is galvanised steel used for? What are the advantages of galvanized steel? Galvanizing is Durable 2. Galvanizing is Sustainable 3. Galvanizing is Cost Effective 4. Galvanizing is Proven 5. Galvanizing is Reliable 6.

Galvanizing is Honest. Galvanizing is Predictable 8. Galvanizing offers Complete Coverage 9. Galvanizing is Tough Galvanizing offers Three Way Protection Galvanizing has a Fast Turnaround. Galvanizing is Durable A galvanized coating is one of the most durable forms of corrosion protection on the market.

Read the case history on Lydlinch Bridge, Dorset where galvanising has lasted over 77 years. Galvanizing is Sustainable The long-term durability provided by galvanizing is achieved at relatively low environmental burden in terms of energy and other globally relevant impacts. Read more about Why Galvanizing is sustainable Read more about Why steel is sustainable.

Galvanizing is Cost-effective The true cost of protecting steel work from corrosion has to take into consideration two important elements, the initial cost of protection and the lifetime cost. Read more on galvanized steel cost.

Galvanizing is Proven Galvanizing is all around us, with the galvanising industry recording increased production year on year. View our handy Corrosion map for corrosion rates in your area. Galvanizing is Reliable. Galvanizing is Honest Corrosion protection that works from day one. Galvanizing is Predictable A galvanized coating offers predictable corrosion protection that weathers in a linear fashion. Compared to other coatings with lower bond strengths, many of which range between psi, hot-dip galvanizing's abrasion resistance protects against damage from transport, erection, and service.

Hot-dip galvanizing also provides uniform protection. During the metallurgical diffusion reaction in the galvanizing kettle, the galvanized coating grows perpendicular to all surfaces, providing the same thickness throughout—on flat surfaces as well as corners and edges, where damage is typically experienced. Other coatings, particularly those applied by brush or spray, can thin at corners and edges, which become weak points for corrosion.

Further, the steel is fully submerged, with molten zinc coating all surfaces, even the interior of hollow and tubular structures, where corrosion can accelerate as humidity and condensation occur. Hollow structures that are painted have no corrosion protection on the inside at all. Further, the immersion process fully coats all fasteners which, because they are used at connection points, are particularly critical to structural integrity.

It is important to note that while galvanizing is commonly used to connote all types of zinc coatings, this is an erroneous assumption. Not all zinc coatings have the same properties, and physical, chemical, and corrosion resistance can vary widely.

This molten bath begins a metallurgical bond between the zinc and the receiving metal. After the metal is pulled from the bath, it reacts to being exposed to the atmosphere, and the pure zinc mixes with oxygen to form zinc oxide.

The zinc-oxide further reacts to carbon dioxide and forms zinc carbonate, which makes up the final protective coating on the material. The hot-dipped galvanizing method is an economical choice that can be quickly executed on both simple and complex shapes.

The new coated material can be worked and machined in a similar fashion to uncoated materials. Galvannealing is the outcome of combining the annealing and hot-dip galvanizing processes in order to produce a specialized coating on steel.

The process of galvanization is performed via hot-dipping and instantaneous annealing, which produces a matte gray finish. Galvannealed steel is a zinc-iron alloy product, where the base metal is coated by the hot-dip process, then heated to induce alloying between the molten zinc coating and the steel.

The resulting finish is a dull matte surface. Galvannealed steel is conducive to welding and the surface is excellent for paint adhesion. Also similar to the hot-dip galvanizing method, but performed at the very first stage of production. Pre-galvanizing is a process that involves rolling the sheet metal through a cleaning agent to quickly prime material for galvanizing. Then, the metal is passed through a pool of molten liquid zinc and is immediately recoiled.

The primary advantage of this method is that coils of steel sheet can be rapidly galvanized on a large scale with a more unified coating than the traditional hot-dipped method.

The most unique of these outlined methods, electrogalvanizing does not involve dipping the material in a molten vat of zinc. Instead, an electric current is introduced to an electrolyte solution that is applied to the steel, which reduces positively charged zinc ions to zinc metal — which is then deposited on the positively charged steel. Like pre-galvanizing, this method is typically done at the first stage of production.

By contrast, most organic paint coatings used on steel need frequent renewal and when coatings are breached, corrosion begins at the exposed area of steel and spreads rapidly beneath the film. The galvanizing process produces a durable, abrasion-resistant coating of metallic zinc and zinc-iron alloy layers bonded metallurgically to the steel base and completely covering the work piece.

In many cases galvanizing also provides lowest initial cost. The galvanized coating becomes part of the steel surface it protects. The unique metallurgical structure of the galvanized coating provides outstanding toughness and resistance to mechanical damage in transport, erection and service. The galvanized coating is subject to corrosion at a predictably slow rate, between one-thirteenth and one eightieth that of steel, depending on the environment to which it is exposed.