Corrosion Protection

Metallizing with zinc is another procedure that protects steel from corrosion for decades longer than paint alone. This is a proven process, which has been used around the world for 90 years. Steel of every shape and size may be zinc sprayed instead of less effective frequent repainting. Zinc spraying is very versatile and effective as a corrosion protection for steel structures.

The metallizing process begins with surface preparation by abrasive blasting, followed then with a metal spraying protection that best meets exposure conditions. The three spray wires used for atmospheric or immersion service are pure aluminum, pure zinc or an alloy of these two metals 85/15, zinc/ aluminum. (The alloy is approximately 85% zinc and 15% aluminum by weight.) A metallized coating may be bare sprayed metal, sprayed-metal-plus-sealer or sprayed-metal-plus-sealer-plus-topcoat. The sprayed metal plus sealer is generally the most cost effective, lowest life cycle cost (LCC) option. Coating thickness may vary according to application from .004" to thicker coats of zinc in the range of .012" -.014" for sea water splash zones.

Metallizing is considered a cold process in that the aluminum or zinc is deposited onto steel by spraying rather than by dipping the steel into a bath of molten zinc as with galvanizing. The steel remains relatively cool at about 250°-300°F. There is virtually no risk of heat distortion or weld damage by metallizing.

There are no V.O.C.'s (volatile organic compounds) in the metallized coating. There is no cure time or temperature to limit metallizing, so metallizing may be applied throughout the year. Any steel structure that can be blast cleaned, can in the majority of cases be metallized.