Protection against corrosion
Since steel products have been in use, the phenomenon of corrosion, or iron oxidation, has been a known nuisance. Steel products, which are not appropriately protected against external factors, are characterised by a shorter lifetime due to safety or aesthetic reasons. Various types of methods for avoiding these adverse effects are used in practice. All of them have a short-term efficiency and they do not fulfil all the expectations in all conditions as it is hard to choose an anticorrosion agent which is resistant to the majority of external factors (such as abrasion and temperature differences, among other factors) and, at the same time, makes the product look aesthetically pleasing.
Among all known methods of anticorrosion protection of steel products, the best one is hot-dip galvanising. After comparing all benefits and costs related to hot-dip galvanisation, we can say that is currently the cheapest and most efficient method of avoiding corrosion. Paint coatings – which are often very aesthetically pleasing – are usually very expensive and they do not have an appropriate resistance to mechanical damages. In addition, in case of improper preparation of the surface, there will be rust formations and the coating will start to crack and peel. Oiling surfaces with oils or grease due to practical reasons and short duration period also can be used to a very limited extent.
… thus, hot-dip galvanisation
Here is some basic data concerning protective zinc coatings:
Its durability within average environmental conditions in Poland is around 3±100 years, and natural losses happening due to atmospheric factors occur in the region of about 0,1-2,5 μm per year in rural conditions or up to 10μm per year in an aggressive atmosphere.
- Galvanisation of the product surface is a result of chemical and metallurgical reactions occurring thanks to galvanisation technology. As a result, there is a diffusion of zinc particles in the external layer of steel, which create strong intermolecular bonds – FeZn. After galvanisation, on the external layer of the product, a layer of pure zinc will appear, which will be subject to natural hardening after some time, making it very resistant to mechanical damages and relatively resistant to various chemical factors.
- Appropriate surface preparation for hot-dip galvanisation can be achieved thanks to complex chemical process and the fact that the surface is covered in zinc the best proof of the high quality of this preparation as There would be places that would not be covered in zinc if the surface has not been appropriately prepared.
- Aesthetics of a hot-dip galvanised product are very high, even though the process is based mainly on corrosion protection obtained thanks to a zinc bath, thanks to the technology applied and technical equipment used in galvanisation plants of TERMETAL together with the experience of the staff, we are able to make very aesthetic products,
- Currently, there are methods of making galvanised products aesthetically pleasing by covering them with paint coatings. TERMEAL galvanisation plants are adopted for galvanisation of products and their further processing by applying layers of paint coating.
