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Hotdipgalvanizing
part1

Hotdipgalvanizing
part2

TheHOTDIPGALVANIZINGPROCESScompriseprimarilyofthreestagesandtheyarethe
chemicalpretreatmentgalvanizingprocess,hotdipgalvanizingprocessandtheposttreatment
galvanizingprocess
Frequentlywordssuchasgalvanizing,zincgalvanizing,galvanizationwouldrefertohotdip
galvanizing.Thegalvanizingprocessreferstothehotdipgalvanizingprocessandthegalvanizing
processisthemetallurgicalapplicationofzinconironorsteel.Theendproductisthegalvanized
ironorsteelproduct

Diagram1THEGALVANIZINGPROCESS
(A)ChemicalPretreatmentgalvanizingprocesscomprisingthe(1)CAUSTICSOLUTION,
(2)RINSEWATER,(3)PICKLINGACID,(4)RINSEWATER,
(B)thehotdipgalvanizingprocess(5)FLUXSOLUTION&(6)MOLTENZINCBATH,
(C)theposttreatmentgalvanizingprocess(7)QUENCHWATER
A.ChemicalPretreatmentGalvanizingProcess
Thehotdipgalvanizingprocessinvolvesbatchdippingchemicallycleanedfabricatedironor
steelintoapotofmoltenzinc.Fabricatedsteelproductsarecarefullyjiggedonframesinbatches
andchemicallycleanedofallsurfacecontaminationsuchasdirt,oilandgrease,millscalesandrust
inaseriesofchemicaltanks.Withinthehotdipgalvanizingprocessorgalvanizinglinesasits
sometimescalled,arethe(1)Heatedcausticsolution,(2)Causticrinsewatertanks,
(3)Hydrochloricacidtank(frequentlybetween3or4andinbigplantsevenmore),(4)Acidwater
rinsetankrefertodiagramabove
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Theheatingofthecausticsolutionistoremoveoilandgreasecontaminantsquicklyfromthesteel
surface.Themainchemicalpicklingsolutionusedintheremovalofothercontaminantssuchas
rustandmillscalesisdilutedhydrochloricacid.
B.HOTDIPGALVANIZING
Thechemicallycleanedsteelisthenimmersedintotheheatedfluxsolutionahotsolutionofzinc
ammoniumchloride.Thisisacorrosionprotectionchemicalandthissolutionprotectsthesteel
surfacefromfurtherrustingpriortothehotdipgalvanizingprocess.(5)Theheatedtankofflux
solutionislabeledas(5).refertoDiagram1above(6)averyhotpotofmoltenzincheatedtoa
temperatureofabout860degreeF(460degreeC).Whenthecleanedandfluxedsteelaredipped
intomoltenzincitreactswithmoltenzincresultingintheformationofaseriesofmetallurgically
formedzincironalloylayers.(RefertoDiagram2)Thesezincironalloylayersnamely(A)Eta
Layerispurezincbutrelativelysoftlayer(100%Znand79DPN).The(B)ZetaLayercontains
about6%iron(94%Zn6%Feat179DPN).Nextisthe(C)DeltaLayerwithabout10%iron(90%
Zn10%Feand244DPN)and(D)theGammaLayerwithbetween21%to28%Iron(75%Zn25%
Feat350DPN).ThesetwolayersareveryhardZnFealloylayersthatareevenharderthan(E)the
BaseSteelat155DPN.Thesealloylayersprovidesthedurableandabrasionresistanthigh
performancezinccoatingthatcontinuouslyprotectssteelagainstcorrosion.

Diagram2AphotomicrographofatypicalHotDipGalvanizingZincCoatmetallurgically
bondedtothebasesteel(ZALAS)

Uponwithdrawlfromthemoltenzincbaththehotdippedgalvanizedsteelmaterialacquiresthe
mirrorimageofthemoltenzincsurface.Carefullycontrollingthewithdrawalratewillensures
smoothnesstothegalvanizedsteelsurfaceandnosurfaceimperfections.Thishotdipgalvanizing
processofdippingthesteelarticleintomoltenzincgiverisestoanarticlethatiscompletelyzinc
coatedandthegalvanizedsteelsurfaceisevenanduniform.
C.POSTTREATMENT
Afterdippingthesteelproductsinthemoltenzincbaththefinalstageistodipthematerialinto
(7)Quenchwater.Frequentlyinthequenchtankiswaterwitheitherchromateorother
passivasionchemicals.Inplaceswithhighhumiditythischromatingorpassivasiontemporarily
protectstheoutermostpurezincEtaLayerfromoxidationwhichresultsinawhitepoweronthe
galvanizedsteelsurface.refertoDiagram1above
Afterthehotdipgalvanizingprogresstheproductsarecheckedthroughly
forroughedges,ashmarks,zincdripsandbarepatches.Therewillbea
finalzinccoatingthicknessmeasurementtakenandafinalQAcheckfor
totalitemsagainstincomingdocuments.Thefinishedgoodsarepacked
andtaggedreadyforfinalweightinganddispatchedtowhitegoods
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storageyardawaitingcustomerscollection.

WHYHOTDIPGALVANIZINGPROCESSPROTECTSSTEELAGAINSTCORROSION
ANDRUSTUnlikezincplating,coldgalvanizingorpainting,hotdipgalvanizingistheonly
metallurgicalprocesswherethesurfaceofsteelistransformedfrompureironorsteeltoaseries
ofzincironalloylayersnamelyEta,Zeta,DeltaandtheGammalayers.Thetotalcombined
thicknessofthesealloylayersvariesfrom305gramspersquaremeterstomorethan610gramsper
squaremetersdependingonthethicknessofthesteelmaterialusedtofabricatethesteelproducts.
Thehardnessofeachofthedifferentzincironalloylayersvariesfrom70DPMhardnessfortheEta
layerto244DPMhardness(DiamondPyramidNumber)attheDeltaLayer.ThisDeltalayeris
testedtobeharderthanthebasesteelwitha159DPNhardnessreading.Thesedifferenthardness
zincironalloylayerswearoffatdifferentrateswhichgivesthehotdipgalvanizedsteel
thisuniquedurabilityagainstcorrosioninharshenvironment.Rustwhichisironoxidecan
onlyformwhenpureironcomeintocontactwithoxygenthuswiththehardalloylayersrust
formationisnotpossibleunlessthezinccoatingpeelofforiswornoff.Thisundernormalweather
conditiontakesaverylongtimeindeed.
THICKNESSMEASUREMENTOFTHEZINCCOATThiszinccoatingthicknesscanbe
measuredwithamagneticthicknessmeasuringdeviceinanondestructivetestingmethod
oralternativelyinthedestructivemethodcalledtheStrippingTest.Thestrippingmethodiscarried
outinalaboratorywhereasmallsampleiscarefullyweightbeforeandafterchemicallyremoving
thezinccoat.Thisdeterminesthecoatingmassandcanbeconvertedtoaveragecoatingthickness.

TheElectronic
coating
thickness
measurement
meter

TheStrippingTest
requires
chemically
digestingthezinc
layerfromsteelsurface

TYPICALCOATINGWEIGHTFORGALVANZINEDSTEELAFTERTHE
GALVANIZINGPROCESS(BSENISO1461orBritishStandards729:1971)
Category

MinAvecoatingweight
(g/m2)

MinAvecoatingThickness
(Micron)

>5mm

610

85

(notcentrifuged) <.5mm 460

64

>2mm 335

47

Malleable
casting

610

85

Threadeditems

305

43

steelarticles

(centrifuged)
APPEARANCEOFHOTDIPGALVANIZEDSTEELPRODUCTSGenerallyafterhotdip
galvanizingprocesssteelisbrightandshinyduetothecorrectalloyingofthenearlypuremolten
zincwithaluminum.Spangledsurfaceslikefishscalesarecommon.Thesurfaceisalsorather
smoothandtakesonthesmoothfinishofthemoltenzincasthegalvanizedsteelleavesthezinc
bath.Withthecorrectairanddrainageopeningsintroducedatcornersandedgesofsteel
productsfreeflowormoltenzincispossibleandmostarticlesleavingthemoltenzincbatharefree
ofimperfections.Duetoitshighmeltingpointof420degreeCandthenarrowoperating
temperaturerangeofbetween450to460degreeCzincdriplumpinessandzincrunmarks
mayappear.Thesearesoftpurezincandcaneasilyberemovedbysoftfilingorgrindingwithout
damagingthezinccoating.Dullgreyfinishmayalsoappearandfrequentlyitsduetothehigher
siliconcontentinsteel.Thefinishesofhotdipgalvanizedsteelisnotcomparabletogalvanized
steelsheetingorgalvanizedwiresasthecoatingmethodsaredifferentandthecoatingthickness
arevastlydifferent.
HOWLONGWILLHOTDIPGALVANIZEDSTEELLASTHowlongwouldapieceof
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galvanizedsteellastafterinstallationdependstoalargeextendontheplacewherethematerialis
installedandwhatistheenvironmentalcondition.
DocumentedbyZALAS(ZincandLeadAsianService)arerecordsofstudieswhichconcludethat
inan(1)AridRurallocationzinccoatingmaylastmorethan100years.Ina(2)Rurallocation
galvanizedcoatingwilllastmorethan90years.Ina(3)MildCoastalenvironmentwheretheair
containsmoisturewithasalt(chloride)thezinccoatingmaylastlessthan50years.Inmorehostile
environmentlikea(4)Industriallocationthelifespanofagalvanizedcoatingreducestomore
than40yearscomparedtoarticlesina(5)Marineenvironmentwherecoatinglifemaybelessthan
20years.Finallyina(6)SeverMarinelocationtheanticipatedlifespanofagalvanizedcoatingis
Lessthan15years.(RefertoAnticipatedlifeofZincCoatingChartbelow)

GRAPH1(1)ARIDRURAL,(2)RURAL,(3)MILDCOASTAL,(4)INDUSTRIAL,(5)
MARINE,(6)SEVEREMARINE
Pleasenotethathotdipgalvanizedzinccoatingperformspoorlyinsplashzonesincoastal
locations,acidic(belowpH6)andcausticenvironment(abovepH12).Hotdipgalvanizedsteel
shouldnotbeusedinsolutioncontainingdissolvedcopperassmallamountsofdissolvedcopper
willcausepittingtothegalvanizedsteel.
WHATCANBEHOTDIPGALVANIZEDAnyIronorsteelproductcanbehotdipgalvanized.
Mildsteelproductsandcastingareeasilyhotdipgalvanized.Thereisnocorrosionprotection
reasontohotdipgalvanizedstainlesssteelbutsometimessteelproductmaycontainsome
stainlesssteelpartsandtheseproductsarealsoeasilyhotdipgalvanized.
WHATISTHECOSTOFHOTDIPGALVANIZINGTypicallythecostofhotdipgalvanizing
inMalaysiaisbetween20%to30%ofthecostofsteelmaterial.Hotdipgalvanizingcostper
tonneofsteelincreasesforlighterandthinnergaugesteelproducts.Inthecaseofcentrifuge(spin)
hotdipgalvanizingforsmallerparts,thecostpermetrictonneisalsohigher.
GRAPH2COSTOF
GALVANIZINGVsA
THREECOATPAINT
SYSTEMFOR
VARIOUSSTEEL
THICKNESSThischart
showsinitialapplication
costofa3coatindustrial
paintsystemaftergrid
blastingversushotdip
galvanizing.Thecostofa
paintingsystemis
dependentonthesurface
areawherasthecostofhot
dipgalvanizingisbasedon
finishedweightofsteel.For
simplecalculationthebasisofcomparisonisbasedonam2ofsteelforsteelofvariousthickness.
Thecostofpaintingam2ofsteelremainsnearlythesameforvarioussteelthicknessforasimilar
paintsystem.Ontheotherhandthecosttohotdipgalvanizeam2ofsteelincreaseswiththickness
asweightincreases.Fromtheabovechartoninitialcostcomparison,thecostofhotdip
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galvanizingbecomesmorecostlywhensteelthicknessexceed20mm.Pleasetakenotethatthe
chartappliestocostcomparisonforatypicalcaseinMalaysiaandmaynotapplyforother
countriesascostmaynotbesimilarindifferentlocations.
CANIPAINTHOTDIPGALVANIZEDSTEELPaintingofhotdipgalvanizedsteelrequires
preparationsuchassandingdown,applicationofaEtchingPrimerbeforethepaintapplicationto
ensureproperadhesion.Presentlymostpaintmanufacturersalsosellpaintthataresuitablefor
directapplicationontoagalvanizedsteel.A"Duplex"coatingofhotdipgalvanizedsteelplus
paintisaverygoodcorrosionprotectionsystemfrequentlyusedinSteelTransmissionand
CommunicationTowers.

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