What Are the Advantages of Coated Steel?

02 Dec.,2024

 

Benefits of Coated Steel - Alliance Steel

What are the Benefits of Coated Steel?

Looking for an effective and economical way to protect your steel from outside elements? Read below to learn more about the benefits of coated steel.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit our website.

What is Steel Coated With?

Steel is coated with zinc to help prevent corrosion. Zinc forms a barrier, defending the metal itself from rust and other forms of corrosion. Zinc reacts with oxygen when exposed to the atmosphere, thus creating zinc oxide. Furthermore, the zinc oxide reacts with carbon dioxide to firm a zinc carbonate. This stops further corrosion in most circumstances, safeguarding the steel from the element, particularly in areas with extreme exposure to saltwater.

How is Steel Coated?

Alliance Steel carries a wide variety of coated steel sheets and coil products, including hot-dipped and, electrogalvanized, aluminized, galvannealed, and galvalume.

Hot Dipped Galvanized Steel: The process starts with submerging the carbon steel (hot roll or cold roll substrate) into a hot bath (680 degrees F) of zinc. As the steel cools, an iron- zinc alloy bond occurs, creating a spangled finish.

Electrogalvanized Steel: The zinc coating is applied to the steel by the process of electro-deposition. This process can apply a protective coating to one of both sides of the steel. 

Aluminized Steel: Aluminized Steel is coated with an aluminum-silicon alloy. This is applied during a hot-dipped process, like Hot Dipped Galvanized. Aluminized Steel is heat resistant and has a bright surface.

Galvannealed Steel: Zinc is applied to this material using a hot-dipped process, and then the steel is annealed. This converts the zinc into a zinc &#; alloy, providing a coated product that offers increased protection from corrosion and scratches. 

Galvalume Steel: Galvalume is coated in an aluminum-zinc alloy using a continuous process.

What are the Benefits of Zinc Coatings?

Corrosion Resistance: The most beneficial trait of coated steel is its effectiveness in protecting against oxidation. 

Efficiency: Zinc Coatings protect the base metal from corrosion and will sacrifice itself to save the underlying material.

What are some Coated Steel Uses?

Industries that use coated steel sheets and coils are:

  • Agriculture
  • Appliance
  • Automotive
  • Cabinetry  
  • Construction
  • Energy
  • Engine Components
  • Exterior Building Features such as Roof Decking, Partitions, Covers and Cabinets
  • Household Appliances
  • Outdoor Recreation
  • Pipe and Tubular
  • Residential and Commercial Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning Systems
  • Roofing
  • Siding

Alliance Steel is a flat roll and coil processing - steel service center in Gary, Indiana. We have been a leader in flat-roll steel supply and coil processing for over 20 years. In May of , we relocated to Gary, Indiana, strategically placing ourselves near major highways, mills, and ports. There are also two sales locations in the Mid- South (Atlanta and Memphis).

Our temperature-controlled 300,000 square foot facility is equipped with full rail service, multiple slitters, including a heavy-gauge line, numerous fiber lasers, multi&#;blanking, cut to length, stretcher leveling, and metallurgical capabilities.

Alliance Steel is prepared to support your steel needs with an extensive inventory of flat-rolled sheet and coil products.

We maintain a selection of hot rolled steel, hot rolled pickled and oiled, hot rolled pickled dry, cold-rolled steel, motor lam, all coated products steel products. For more information, please call 219-427- or send us a contact form.

Benefits of Zinc-Coated Metal

What are the Benefits of Selecting Zinc-Coated Metal for Commercial Building Products?

Many manufacturers of non-structural commercial building products offer some type of zinc-coated steel, but how do you know which one is best for your application?

Steel products with a zinc finish are available in several forms, including galvanized, galvannealed, electro-galvanized, zinc-coated and hot-dipped, all of which provide corrosion-resistance against rusting of carbon-based steel. 

How do zinc-coated metals prevent and control rust?

A zinc coating is either applied to steel in sheet form in the steel mill, or to a finished product made of steel.  The coating acts as a barrier that isolates and protects the base metal from the environment.  After steel has been treated with a zinc coating, any exposure to atmospheric oxygen creates a zinc oxide layer, exposure to water creates zinc hydroxide, and zinc carbonate film forms when exposed to carbon dioxide, protecting the underlying steel from exposure to rust-causing moisture.  Even if the steel or paint is scratched, damaged or the edges cut, zinc carbonate fills in the area to protect the steel beneath the zinc coating on both painted or unpainted products.  

Illustration of How Zinc Carbonate (Oxide) Fills in Damaged Area on Surface of Steel

What are Architects, Specifiers, Contractors and Building Owners Looking for when they Specify a Zinc-coated Building Product?

  • Meets product specifications for that product type including ASTM standards for zinc coating thickness or weight
  • Will stand up to conditions such as exterior use, corrosive or humid environments
  • A product that meets building code

Common Types of Zinc-Coatings on Steel

GALVANNEAL SHEET STEEL
Galvanneal sheet steel is produced by passing sheet steel in coil form through molten zinc in the steel mill at high speed.  A gas wiping process is used to control the thickness, then the steel is heated in an annealing furnace at temperatures up to °F  causing the iron in the steel to bond permanently with the zinc coating.  The coating penetrates the metal, strengthening the material to form an iron-zinc alloy underneath the zinc.  EQ coatings are an additional treatment that are applied to non-structural studs zinc-coated sheets that fill cracks and voids in the zinc layer. 

Coating Standards: Coating weight minimums are established by ASTM standard 653A measured in oz/ft² using a designation such as A40 which has a coating weight of .20 oz/ft² per side of the sheet.  Common coating weights are A25, A40, A60.

Appearance & Paintability: Galvannealed is a dull gray in color and has a matte surface that does not require a primer for paint. The paint can mechanically &#;lock&#; with the zinc-iron crystals on the surface, forming an excellent paint bond.

GALVANIZED SHEET STEEL

Galvanized sheet steel also known as hot-dip galvanized, is manufactured in a steel mill using a similar process to galvanneal steel including gas knives to control coating thickness, but does not include a final heat treatment. The result is a layer of zinc iron alloys deposited on the surface of the steel.  

Coating Standards: Coating weight minimums are established by ASTM standard 653A and measured in oz/ft² using a designation such as G40 which has a coating weight of .20 oz/ft² per side of the sheet. Common coating weights are G30, G40, G60, G90.

Appearance & Paintability: Galvanized steel has a mottled light and dark surface and is so smooth that it can be difficult to get paint to adhere to untreated metal.  Galvanized steel must first be cleaned with alkaline or acid and then &#;profiled&#; to provide a textured surface for primer and paint to adhere to.

ELECTROGALVANIZED SHEET STEEL

Zinc coatings are applied to steel sheet by electrodeposition in a continuous process at the steel mill.  The coating of pure zinc is thinner than continuous sheet galvanizing and is mechanically-bonded to the steel, but provides a smoother finish with no alloy layers.

Coating Standards: Coating weight minimums are established by ASTM standard A879/A879M and measured in in oz/ft² or the SI system in g/m², using a designation such as 13Z13Z which has a coating weight of .13 in oz/ft² per side of the sheet.  Common coating weights in oz/ft² are 08Z, 13Z and 30Z .

Appearance & Paintability: Electrogalvanized steel has a smooth finish that may be dull or shiny and most do not require a primer for paint, resulting in an excellent paint bond to the absorbent zinc surface.

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ZINC-PLATED PARTS

Products that are fabricated of cold-rolled steel can have a zinc coating applied to the finished item. A layer of zinc is applied by immersing the steel object in an ambient temperature zinc sulphate solution using an electrolytic deposition process. The zinc coating consists of pure zinc that tightly adheres to the steel.  One benefit of coating finished objects, is that all surfaces &#; inside and out receive a coating of zinc providing an unbroken protective layer.  An electrogalvanized or zinc-plated coating produces a thinner and therefore, less corrosion-resistant coating than galvannealed or galvanized coatings.

Coating Standards: Coating thickness minimums are established by ASTM standard 633 using a designation such as Fe/Zn 25 which has a coating thickness of  25 µm or 0.984 mils on the entire part.   Coating classifications range from Fe/Zn 5 for indoor use to FE/Zn 25 for exposure to harsh conditions.

Appearance & Paintability: Depending on the additives used in the process, zinc-plated products may have a smooth, shiny or matte surface that does not require a primer for paint resulting in an excellent paint bond to the absorbent zinc surface.

HOT DIP GALVANIZED PARTS

Hot-dip galvanizing is a process used to add a zinc coating to finished steel articles.  The items are immersed in a molten zinc bath, during which the zinc reacts with iron in the steel to form a series of zinc-iron inter-metallic alloy layers.

Coating Standards: Coating thickness minimums are established by ASTM standard A123, A153 and A767.  A123 is for structural steel made from rolled, pressed and forged shapes, castings, plates, bars, strips and fabricated products. A153 is for hardware products such as castings, fasteners, rolled, pressed and forged products.  A767 is for steel bars for concrete reinforcement. Those standards require a minimum average coating thickness by either Class 1 (350 oz/ft²) or Class 2 (2.00 oz/ft²).

Appearance & Paintability: Appearance can vary and be matte, gray, shiny or spangled. The surface is so smooth that that it can be difficult to get paint to adhere to untreated metal.  Products with a hot dip finish must first be cleaned with alkaline or acid and then &#;profiled&#; to provide a textured surface for the primer and paint to adhere to. Many hot dip galvanized parts such as nuts and bolts, are not intended to be painted.

COMPARING THICKNESS OF ZINC COATINGS

Corrosion performance is approximately linear, based on the thickness or coating weight and type of environment to which it is exposed. The thicker the coating, the longer the steel underneath is protected, and painting the product extends the life even more. The chart below shows the ASTM standards for each type of zinc coating with examples.

Galvanized, Galvanneal and Electrogalvanized sheet steel is measured by the deposition on the surface area in oz/ft² or gm/m². For instance, a coating weight of A60 or G60 would have .30 oz/ft² per side of the sheet, and would have roughly twice the amount of zinc as a coating weight of A30 or G30.

Zinc-Plated and Hot Dipped products that are immersed in the zinc coating are measured in microns of coating thickness, which is not directly comparable to the &#;coating weight&#; of galvanized and galvanneal sheet steel. 

ASTM Standards for Each Type of Zinc Coating:

GALVANNEAL ELECTROGALVANIZED GALVANIZED

COMPARISON OF MATERIALS &#; GALVANNEAL, GALVANIZED, STAINLESS STEEL AND ALUMINUM

CharacteristicGalvanneal SteelGalvanized SteelStainless SteelAnodized AluminumCoatingThree zinc-iron layers
Harder and more durableOne zinc layerSolid material throughoutProtective oxide layerAppearance Dull gray matte appearance Shiny metallic appearanceVarious finishes from mirror-like to brushedSlightly dull metallic, multiple color optionsPaintabilityHigher paintability, better paint adhesion with minimal pre-treatmentHigh paintability with profiling and priming pre-treatment of metalUsually not painted, but has higher paintability and paint adhesion. Primer not neededUsually not painted, but has moderate paintabilityFormability & WeldingHigher formability and excellent weldabilityHigh formability, mod-erate weldability. Zinc coating can burn away.Higher formability and excellent weldabilityHigher formability, good weldingCorrosion PerformanceHigher corrosion-resistance when combined with powder-coat paint finishHigher corrosion-resistance, can be used for exterior appli-cations. Not always painted. Not recom-mended for exposure to chlorinated water.Highest corrosion-resistance. Not recom-mended for exposure to chlorinated water.Higher corrosion-resistance. Aluminum is the most corrosion-resistant material for exposure to chlorinated waterCostHigher cost, but better valueHigh costHighest costLower cost

Is there a Benefit to Painting Zinc-coated Products?

When the two corrosion protection systems; painting; and zinc-coated steel are used together, the result is termed a &#;Duplex System&#;.  The paint layer protects the underlying zinc coating and the zinc coating protects the steel, providing longer product life.  If the paint layer is damaged, the zinc coating will begin to corrode, forming zinc carbonate at that site&#;creating a barrier between the environment and the steel and preventing rust. 

· Due to the iron content of galvanneal steel, it is recommended that those products be painted for the best durability.

· Products that are factory painted, undergo cleaning, pre-treatment and drying as part of a process to achieve good paint adhesion. 

· If a product is factory primed, it is important to finish the product in the field with a quality paint, as primers are not intended to provide the same protective characteristics as finish paint. 

· Products made of galvanized sheet steel that have been formed or welded may have spots where the zinc coating has flaked or burned away, leaving bare spots that are unprotected, so paint will be the only barrier coating in those areas.

Exterior Access Panels Roof Accsssories Exterior Louvers

Options for Painting Zinc-coated Products

Powder coating is a toxin-free, environmentally-friendly process that applies a polymer-based powder to metal and is then cured with heat. Powder coat paint is durable, available in a range of colors and can provide a protective coating that will last for years.  This process is extremely efficient reducing waste by 95% over wet-applied paints and provides a thicker, more durable coating.  Many manufacturers state that powder coated products can be repainted in the field.

Wet-applied paint or primer is usually applied as paint in a solvent-based solution.  This paint is typically for small quantities of products. The wet-applied process can use toxic solvents and volatile organic compounds that are harmful if inhaled and is less environmentally-friendly than powder coat. Many manufacturers state that powder coated products can be repainted in the field.

Other paints that are compatible with hot-dip galvanized steel, such as epoxy-polyamide, acrylics, vinyls, and latex-acrylics may be used with proper surface preparation. Consult the building product manufacturer for recommendations.

Environmental Considerations

Galvanized steel can be made from recycled steel and typically uses about 30% recycled zinc.  It can be recycled in a similar way to other steel products. During the process, the zinc material is collected and recycled.

Resources to Learn More:

American Galvanizers Association https://galvanizeit.org/

The Galvinfo Center (International Zinc Association) www.galvinfo.com

Finishing.com www.finishing.com

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Product submittals indicate material options.  Most steel roof accessories are fabricated from galvanneal steel.

Note: This document is intended to provide general information only. For specific information, contact your building material supplier about their products.