Steel will rust due to the outer environment over time without good protection. In the presence of water or air moisture, rust (an iron oxide) is formed by the reduction and oxidation reaction of iron and oxygen.

There are protective methods such as painting or plastic coating, but these methods do have drawbacks. Sections of the steel will become rusty and the protective coating will fall away when damaged, which makes these types of protection non-lasting and unreliable (always needing continued maintenance).

What Is Galvanization?

Galvanization is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron in order to prevent rust and corrosion.

The primary advantages for using Galvanized Steel include:

#1 Cost-effective. Lower cost than Stainless Steel.

#2 Less maintenance/Lowest long term cost.

#3 Long life expectancy.

#4 Reliable coating life and excellent performance.

#5 Outstanding resistance to mechanical damage.

#6 Protection to small areas of steel exposed through damage.

#7 No other coating can provide the same protection.

#8 Time-saving and Labor-saving. No lost time in surface preparation, painting, and inspection.

One of the better methods of protecting steel materials against corrosion is through hot-dip galvanization. With hot-dip galvanization, all the surfaces of the material are dipped into, and completely coated with, molten zinc.

The corrosion of zinc is very slow, which gives it an extended life while it protects the base metal. Due to the alloying of the Zinc to the iron, cathodic protection occurs. This ensures that small areas of steel which may be exposed through damage are not compromised by rust. Unlike organic coatings, small damaged areas need no touch-up. The cathodic protection will last as long as the zinc layer is present.

Take special care if your project requires contact between any galvanized material and copper or brass. This is especially true in a moist or humid environment as rapid corrosion of the zinc could occur. Water running off a copper or brass surface could have enough dissolved copper in it to cause rapid corrosion. If this applies to your situation, prevent it by ensuring the water flows from the galvanized material to the brass or copper parts.