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Thinner Galvanized Coatings

August 30, 2011
Authored by Bernardo A. Duran III

How do I get thinner galvanized coatings on my steel?

This question has come up with more frequency lately from galvanizers,
possibly because reducing zinc consumption has become more
important as belts have been tightened during the recession the last few
years. The best place to start the conversation about achieving thinner
coatings is by talking about steel chemistry since that has the biggest
influence on coating thickness. For most types of non-reactive steel,
which is steel that meets the chemistry recommendations listed in ASTM
A385, you will not have to worry much about excessively thick
galvanized coatings, because, a er a few minutes in the galvanizing
kettle, coating growth levels out (see Figure 1).

Figure 1
That is not the case with reactive steel, which is steel that falls in the
Sandelin Range or has a silicon equivalent (see below) greater than
about 0.25%. For these types of steels, coating growth continues as long
as the steel is le in the kettle (see Figure 1).

Silicon Equivalent = Si% in steel + 2.5(P% in steel)  

So, the first step to achieving thinner galvanized coatings is to identify when you have reactive steel. Sometimes that is as
straightforward as looking at the steel certification, but other times it has to be determined by galvanizing the steel because
steel certifications do not always accurately reflect the steel your customer gives you.

If you know your customers steel is reactive, sweep blasting it is the

surest way galvanizers have to reduce excessively thick
coatings. Blasting the steel roughens the surface, which causes the zinc
crystals to grow into one another rather than growing vertically like on
steel that has not been blasted. The thickness of the galvanized coating
is reduced when the zinc crystals grow into one another. When you
know you have reactive steel, another thing you can do is leave the steel
in the kettle for a shorter period of time. This is not always possible, for
instance, when galvanizing very thick steel which must be le in the
kettle longer to achieve the necessary temperature for the metallurgical
reaction to happen. Notice in Figures 1 and 2, coating growth is
proportional to the time the steel is in the kettle. Another way to limit
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coating thickness is by reducing the kettle temperature. Higher

Figure 2
temperatures help the galvanizing reaction to happen faster. The
corollary is lower galvanizing temperatures tends to cause slower
reactions, which can reduce coating thickness.

A final option for reducing coating thickness is with bath element additions. Nickel reduces the growth of the intermetallic
layers in steels with chemistry that falls into the Sandelin Range. Lead, an element found in Prime Western zinc, reduces the
surface tension of zinc, which helps the zinc to drain o the steel more easily as the part is being removed from the kettle.
Bismuth accomplishes this same task and is sometimes used in kettles with High Grade or Special High-Grade zinc that have
much less lead than Prime Western zinc. (Please see the AGA Galvanizing Note on kettle chemistry for more information
about bath element additions.) So where is the best place to start to reduce galvanized coating thickness? In a perfect
world, you could explain to your customers that they need to supply you with steel with chemistry similar to that
recommended in ASTM A385, and they would. But that is rarely the case since there is a lot of reactive steel on the market
today.

So, addressing the chemistry of your bath to adjust for reactive steel is a good place to start. Next, you could communicate
to your customers how blasting the steel prior to galvanizing is sometimes necessary to achieve a galvanized coating that is
not excessively thick. Lastly, decreasing time in kettle and kettle temperature are other options for reducing coating
thickness. Although none of these methods guarantee a thinner coating, they are your best options for accomplishing the
goal.

© 2019 American Galvanizers Association. The material provided herein has been developed to provide accurate and
authoritative information about a er-fabrication hot-dip galvanized steel. This material provides general information only
and is not intended as a substitute for competent professional examination and verification as to suitability and
applicability. The information provided herein is not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of the AGA.
Anyone making use of this information assumes all liability arising from such use.

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