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When it comes to remodeling, choosing the right metal coating can make all the difference in the durability, appearance, and functionality of your project. With so many options available, it can be challenging to determine which coating is best suited for your specific needs. In this blog post, we'll explore the top 5 metal coatings used in remodeling projects, their pros and cons, and their common applications to help you make an informed decision.
Powder coating is a popular metal coating option due to its durability, environmental friendliness, and wide range of colors and finishes. This dry finishing process involves applying a powdered paint to the metal surface, which is then heated and cured to form a protective layer.
Pros:Galvanizing is a process that involves coating metal with a layer of zinc to protect it from corrosion. This is typically achieved through hot-dip galvanizing, where the metal is dipped into a bath of molten zinc, or through electro-galvanizing, which uses an electric current to apply the zinc layer.
Pros:Anodizing is an electrochemical process used primarily for aluminum coatings. It involves immersing the aluminum in an electrolytic solution and applying an electric current, which causes a protective oxide layer to form on the metal surface. This layer can be dyed in various colors for a decorative finish.
Pros:Electroplating is a process that involves depositing a thin layer of metal, such as chrome, nickel, or gold, onto a metal surface using an electric current. This can provide a decorative finish, as well as enhance the metal's corrosion resistance and wear properties.
Pros:E-coating, or electrophoretic coating, is a process that involves immersing the metal in a water-based paint solution and applying an electric current to deposit the paint onto the surface. This provides a uniform and corrosion-resistant finish.
Pros:Understanding the different types of metal coatings is essential for selecting the best option for your remodeling project. At Certified Enameling, Inc., we offer a range of metal coating services to suit your needs and ensure the longevity and beauty of your project. Contact us today to discuss your metal coating requirements and receive expert advice from our knowledgeable team.
Metal coating, just as it sounds, is the process of applying some type of outer metal coating to the surface of a product or other component. Metal coatings provide a host of advantages, such as improving performance or appearance.
As you can imagine, the number of material options is endless, with each offering unique benefits and disadvantages across industries. Some coatings are designed with a functional purpose, such as reducing friction between two metal components. This application is especially utilized in the construction and manufacturing industries.
Other metal coatings may be applied to create a more uniform look across multiple parts or to improve the aesthetics of a metal part. If you’re interested in exploring metal coating and how it can improve certain aspects of your business, we’ve compiled a helpful guide below.
To keep metal products and materials in as good shape as possible, they are oftentimes covered in metal coatings. Without this coating, the environment will undoubtedly have an impact on the metal, causing it to corrode and rust.
Common examples of metal coating materials include polymers such as epoxy, moisture-cure urethane, and polyurethane. The type of coating depends on what the product will ultimately be used for, as different coatings offer different levels of protection.
For example, some coatings are applied to protect the under metal from dirt, debris, rust, or corrosion. These types of metal coatings are typically used for outdoor products such as outdoor patio sets or pool accessories. The coatings protect from potentially damaging weather taking a toll on your furniture.
On a larger scale, metal coatings also help protect heavy-duty equipment such as trains, cars, boats, and airplanes. As these products are manufactured, they’re exposed to agents such as lubricants, oil, fuel, or dirt that can all cause damage and detract from the quality. This is where metal coatings come into play, as they help the product withstand any potential damage.
Specifically, they prevent the chipping or scratching of the surface beneath the metal coating, as many of these large-scale pieces of equipment inflict at least some amount of damage during operation. The coatings themselves are flexible and move with the product they’re covering to help further resist damage.
In other applications and industries, metal coatings can also act as torque agents or lubricants. Think of parts such as fasteners, screws, and bolts that are constantly tightened or unscrewed. The metal coating can protect the structure from becoming damaged or worn-down.
Look around your home and chances are high that you can find something that has a metal coating. Galvanized steel is an especially popular example of metal coating that’s used in a variety of ways including benches, bolts, nails, staircases, ladders, and more.
Metal finishings come in a range of finishes to meet the aesthetic needs of the application. For example, airplanes or cars need to have smooth metal finishes to ensure the vehicle can travel as it normally would. Manufacturers of these vehicles choose the color of the metal coating to best match the product as a whole, oftentimes choosing the most subtle color possible.
Metal coatings come in two different forms, both liquid, and powder. The product itself can be sprayed with the coating, or it can be dipped into a metal coating.
Factors that determine the best application method include:
We will further explore the metal coating types and the metal coating process below.
Metal coatings help provide a protective layer for a variety of products, protecting them from the elements or other causes of wear and tear.
When the coating is applied to the outer surface of an item, it, in turn, changes the surface properties of the item. If the item didn’t have the coating, it wouldn’t be nearly as durable or long-lasting.
Specifically, metal coatings help to prevent oxidation and rust from occurring on the metal object. Liquids and chemicals can quickly take a toll on the durability and longevity of the product.
Not only do metal coatings help to provide a durable and corrosion-resistant layer to the product, but they can also increase the load-bearing capability of the product. This means that metal coatings can help increase the load-bearing capabilities in the products they’re on, allowing them to be used in a huge range of applications.
The extra layer of coating provides a protective layer that prevents the amount of friction created between two moving parts. This is especially beneficial in protecting parts that require a ton of constant movement.
With the reduction in friction comes an easier time assembling and disassembling products from one another. This helps to simplify the cleanup process and eliminate any non-stick characteristics of the original product.
There are four main ways in which metal coatings are applied to different surfaces, all of which we will cover below. The metal coating process may consist of hot-dip galvanizing, thermal spraying, electroplating, and sherardizing.
The type of coating process chosen oftentimes depends on the required thickness of the coating.
You can think of hot-dip galvanizing as a bath for the product being coated to ultimately form a corrosion-resistant layer of zinc-iron alloy and zinc metal. During hot-dip galvanizing, the steel component that is being coated is dipped into a pool of molten zinc that is at approximately 450 degrees Celsius.
During the immersion process, there is a metallurgical reaction that takes place with zinc alloy and zinc layers. This reaction that takes place to coat the steel component is a diffusion process, helping to create a smooth, uniform layer of metal coating. The thickness of the metal coating is uniform throughout the piece as well.
The first step in hot-dip galvanizing is to prepare the surface of the object or material being coated. Ideally, all oxides and contaminating residues will be removed from the surface beforehand to help create this metallurgical reaction. Without cleaning the surface beforehand, the reaction may not take place.
Preparing the surface isn’t a simple task, as the steel pieces being dipped can be quite large. They move through a series of cleaning steps using chains and wires.
As soon as all three steps in the surface preparation process are completed, the steel color will be close to a white color. It won’t have any oxides or contaminants and is ready to be galvanized.
The zinc bath comes next, and the steel will be submerged in a galvanizing kettle. If there is a specific look in the coating that needs to be achieved, other metals are occasionally added during this step.
The kettle itself is heated to incredibly high temperatures, anywhere from 820-860 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for ensuring the zinc is liquified. Next, the steel being coated is carefully dipped into the galvanizing kettle until it heats to the temperature of the bath.
As soon as the iron and zinc react with one another, the steel product being coated is withdrawn. The process as a whole takes 10 minutes or less, with exact timing dependent on how thick the steel piece is.
After the piece has been removed from the kettle, the coating can further be enhanced through a process called quenching. There is a quench tank filled mostly with water, however, there are a few chemicals added to form a passivation layer. This layer protects the newly galvanized steel if it needs to be stored or transferred.
There are other finishing steps used besides quenching. Sometimes, there are small zinc drips or spikes that can form on the metal coating that needs to be ground off.
The second metal coating process is called thermal spraying. It may also be referred to as spray welding, plasma spray, flame spray, metalizing, HVOF, and arc spray. All of these names are referring to the same thermal spraying process.
This process relies on a consistent heat source such as a flame as well as a coating material. The coating material is either in powder or wire form that is heated via the flame, resulting in small droplets that are sprayed onto the steel’s surface.
This type of coating cannot only be applied to metal substrates but some plastic substrates as well, as these coatings help to further improve the performance of the component being covered.
Thermal spraying may be used in place of other surface treatments such as nickel and chrome plating, weld overlay, heat treat processes, and anodizing. The results of thermal spraying are a bit thicker compared to other processes, with coatings anywhere from .002”-.025” thick.
There are four main thermal spray processes that we will outline below.
The third metal coating process is called electroplating, also referred to as electrodeposition. This process revolves around an electric current that deposits the material onto the workpiece’s surface.
The current helps to dissolve metal and put it onto the surface using four main components:
As soon as the anode and cathode are connected, the power supply will begin adding DC, or direct current, to the anode. In return, the metal begins to oxidize and the atoms dissolve and turn into positive ions. The current then forces the move to the negatively charged substrate, resulting in a thin coating of metal.
Three factors may impact how high-quality the metal coating is. First is the bath conditions. The temperature of the bath and its chemical makeup must be just right to ensure the electroplating process is effective. Part placement is the second factor, as the farther the substrate is placed away from the cathode, the less effective the plating will be. The third factor is how high the electrical current is, as this will have an impact on how the electroplating process plays out.
There is a variety of benefits to using electroplating, including:
Metals such as zinc, tin, copper, nickel, gold, silver, and palladium all use the electroplating process. The automotive industry, medical industry, electronics industry, aerospace industry, and oil and gas industry all use electroplating in a multitude of ways.
Sherardizing also referred to as vapor galvanizing or dry galvanizing is a process that forms a protective layer of zinc-iron alloy on top of steel or iron. It has been practiced since approximately 1900 and it is named after Sherard O. Cowper-Coles, the inventor.
The object starts by getting heated in an airtight container with extremely high temperatures before it goes into a rotating drum. Next, a thermal diffusion process forces the zinc onto the surface of the metal, forming the zinc-iron alloy. The coating itself has a smooth surface and uniform thickness, providing a barrier against abrasion and corrosion.
The sherardizing process is especially ideal for coating small objects solely based on the type of uniform coating that it provides in addition to the limiting size of the container’s dimensions (2m x 5m x 4m). It is also ideal for geometrically complicated objects.
Examples of objects that commonly undergo sherardizing include rail track fittings, various cable hooks, metal fasteners, universal joints, or rubber bonding.
The adherent surface that results from the sherardizing process is ideal for:
Different types of coatings are all used in certain situations. Here are the types of metal coatings.
It’s possible to dip metal components into thermoplastic powders to create a protective coating. It is also referred to as fluidized bed dipping and it is one of the oldest types of plastic coatings that exists, dating back to 1952.
There is a thermoplastic coating that’s ground into a fine powder and stored in a fluid bed on top of a layer of fine gauze. The gauze helps ensure no particles are let through. Next, air flows through the gauze to allow the particles to rise and move around as fluid would.
To prepare the metal component for a plastic coating, it needs to be degreased and shot blasted. It can then be heated between 250-400 degrees Celsius while the exact temperature is dependent on the type of coating that’s required.
The metal piece can then be placed into the fluid bed while the plastic particles melt onto the metal. The result is a smooth, even plastic coating.
One of the most common ways to provide a protective steel layer is with paint. The paint’s quality and chemical makeup have evolved over the years to keep up with demands from bridge and building owners, as they needed paint that was durability and long-lasting.
The number of coats required is also decreasing thanks to this increase in paint quality and performance. What once required five or six coats of paint now only requires three coats or less.
To successfully paint over a metal coating, there are three steps involved in the process: priming, painting, and finishing. This helps form a “duplex” coating system with each layer providing a specific function.
Methods of applying the paint include roll coating, air-spraying, brushing, and electrostatic spraying. Weather conditions also have a significant impact on how well the paint coating lasts. Ideal results come from coats applied between 40-90 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity between 40 and 70 percent.
As long as the proper protocols are followed, the right preparation is completed, and the conditions are ideal, the paint coating on metal structures should be able to withstand even the most extreme weather conditions.
Metal coatings can be applied to a variety of components to reduce the risk of corrosion and help the material last longer. There are four main types of metal coatings.
This includes metallic zinc being applied to carbon steel through hot-dip galvanizing. The metal is immersed in the zinc to create a protective coating.
Both hot-dipped aluminum-silicon and hot-dipped pure aluminum are examples of aluminum coatings. Hot-dipped aluminum-silicon can resist heat up to 1250 degrees Fahrenheit and it has a heat reflectivity of 900 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning aluminum coatings are ideal for coating heat panels, shields, automobiles, and more.
Hot-dipped pure aluminum offers longer-lasting atmospheric corrosion protection. This type of metal coating is ideal for applications in the medical field, automotive industry, aerospace industry, and more.
Ion plating is achieved through thermal evaporation. There are many processes involved to achieve ion plating, including electroplating, thermal evaporation, ion and atom sputtering, and ion implantation. Ion plating is ideal for coatings that fit unique and complex surfaces.
Metal coatings offer important benefits that impact a variety of industries. Some highlights of metal coatings include:
Look around you; chances are high that there is some sort of product or piece of equipment that has a metal coating on it. This is a highly popular and cost-effective method for your business to produce quality products that will last.
If you’re interested in learning more about metal coatings and how they can help play a role in the success of your business, our team at Schaumburg Specialties is more than happy to help. We provide hands-on assistance, impressive turnaround times, and quality welds that will last!
Contact us today at 855-929-1066 to tell us more about your upcoming project!
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