INSPECTION OF GALVANIZED PRODUCTS

GALV
Australian Standard AS1650, Section 1.6 - Appearance (Page 5) defines the requirement for hot dip galvanized
coatings as follows:
The galvanized coating shall be continuous, as smooth and evenly distributed as possible, and free from defects that are detrimental
to the stated use of the coated article. Methods recommended for the renovation of damaged galvanized coatings or uncoated
areas are given in Appendix F (of AS 1650).
Notes:
1. Defects cannot be completely quantified. When the presence, size or frequency of any defects in the coating are considered
manufacturer.This
to be of concern, appropriate arrangements should be made between the purchaser and the manufacturer .This may be
achieved by the provision of acceptable samples or methods of test.
Where defects are present and the product is submitted for acceptance, the manufacturer should be able to demonstrate
fitness for purpose.
2. thicker,, less smooth coating is obtained on job galvanized articles compared with continuously galvanized sheet or wire.
A thicker
3. (Not applicable to general hot dip galvanized products)
4. The finish of the coated object may be partly or wholly grey in colour for steels of certain composition or articles that are
slowly cooled after galvanizing. Provided that such a coating has adequate adhesion, the grey finish is not detrimental,
although premature staining may occur in service.
5. Advice on the transport and storage of galvanized articles is given in Appendix G (of AS 1650)

GALVANIZED COA
GALV TING APPEARANCE
COATING
AND DEFECTS

There are a number of common types of defects arising

from the hot dip galvanizing process. An explanation
of the causes of defects and variations in appearance
follows:
1. Ungalvanized weld ar eas. Coating misses on weld
areas.
areas are caused by the presence of welding slag on the
welds. All welding slag must be removed by the
Unsealed welds where preparation chemicals
fabricator prior to despatch to the galvanizer. These penetrate the overlap cause blowouts which cause
areas require repair. surface contamination and subsequent coating defects.

Welding slag left on or in welds will not beremoved

by the galvanizing process and will result uncoated
areas on welds.

2. Dark staining adjacent to welds. Preparation

chemicals entering unsealed overlaps or through poor
quality welds boil out of the connection during
galvanizing and cause surface contamination and
coating misses during galvanizing. Also, anhydrous
fluxing salts left in the connection will absorb
atmospheric moisture and leach out onto the adjacent
galvanized surface. Leaching of these salts will Ash is a by-product of the galvanizing process that
eventually reach equilibrium. Affected area should be floats on the surface of the bath. Ash should be
washed clean to remove slightly corrosive leachate. brushed off during inspection and dressing.

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 INSPECTION OF GALVANIZED PRODUCTS (CONT
GALV .)
(CONT.)

3. Dull gray or mottled coatings. Reactive steels will 6. Ash staining. Zinc ash is formed in the galvanizing
generate thicker galvanized coatings that are duller than process as the work is immersed in the zinc. The ash
standard coatings. These coatings have longer life formed is skimmed off the surface of the molten zinc
because of their greater thickness and their appearance prior to withdrawing the work from the galvanizing
is a function of steel metallurgy and generally beyond bath. Sometimes, ash is trapped inside inaccessible
the control of the galvanizer. areas and sticks to the outside of the coating as the
work exits the bath. Ash may leave a dull surface
4. Dr oss pimples/inclusions. Dross is formed in the
Dross appearance or a light brown stain after removal. It does
galvanizing process in the form or zinc-iron crystals not affect the performance of the galvanized coating.
(approx 95% zinc - 5% ir on
iron
on) with a higher melting
point that the metal in the zinc bath. Dross trapped in 7. Striations and general surface irr egularities.
irregularities.
the galvanized coating may give the coating a rough or Ridges and lines thicker than the adjacent galvanized
gritty appearance. The presence of dross inclusions in coating are caused by different rates of reaction of the
the coatings is not detrimetal to the coating's zinc with the steel surface due to stress areas on the
performance as the corrosion resistance of zinc dross steel surface or the presence of weld areas or weld metal
is identical to that of the galvanized coating with modified metallurgy to the parent metal. This
phenomenon is most commonly encounted on pipe and
5. White storage staining. After galvanizing, items
tube products.Coating performance is unaffected
stored or stacked in wet, poorly ventilated conditions
will react with atmospheric moisture to form bulky
8. Runs, drainage spikes and puddling. These defects
white zinc hydroxide deposits on the surface of the
are unavoidable in the hot dip galvanizing of general
galvanized coating.
items and are acceptable as long as they do not interfere
with the assembly of the function of the item or present
a safety hazard in handling or service.

9. Bar
Baree patches. Uncoated areas on the surface of
galvanized work are due to poor surface preparation;
inadequate pretreatment in degreasing, pickling and pre-
fluxing. These areas must be repaired using a
recommended repair method or the item regalvanized
if the defect is of sufficient size.

Dross pimples are formed when dross crystals

present in the molten zinc are caught up in the
coating, giving the surface a grity appearance.(lower
section). The textures and striated galvanized
surface on the upper steel component is caused by
the surface metallurgy of the steel producing
differing micro reactive zones on the surface.

Drainage spikes are formed when moltez zinc

freezed while draining from horozontal surfaces.
Chain marks are unavoidable when galvanizing large Most 3 dimensional sections will always generate
items. These defects are normally buffed off during drainage spikes in one plane. These are removed
dressing and inspection by buffing during dressing and inspaction.

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Galvanizing appearance and defects (cont) 11. Delamination. Very heavy galvanized
coatings (over 250 microns thick) may be brittle
10. Rust staining. Uncoated steel in contact and delaminate from the surface under impact and
with galvanized coatings will accelerate corrosion of require more careful handling in transport and eraction.
the coating and stain the coating brown in the area of Thin, cold rolled items with very smooth surface finish
contact. This can be removed by wire brushing. and manufactured from reactive steel may also give
rise to coating delamination.

12. Black spots. Scattered black spotting is

due to residual galvanizing flux crystalising on the
surface of the work and is generally due to poor rinsing
after galvanizing or flux contaminated rinse water. This
defect is usually encountered from galvanizing baths
using the `wet' galvanizing process where the flux is on
top of the molten zinc. Excess aluminium in the
galvanizing bath can also give rise to this defect.

13. Spangled coatings. Some hot dip

galvanized coatings exhibit a high level of `spangling'
Hot dip galvanized coatings will be stained by contact caused by zinc crystal patterns on the surface. This
with rusty steel or timber in outdoor exposure phenomenon arises with galvanizing alloys produced
conditions. Contact with scrap steel will accelerate
in particular smelting processes and these alloys are
local consumption of the galvanized coating. Timber
staining can be avoided by using seasoned timber of
commonly used for hot dip galvanizing. There is no
the right variety. difference in coating performance.

Industrial Galvanizers Services

Industrial Galvanizers Corporation has a network of
hot dip galvanizing operations throughout Australia and
in South East Asia and the USA.

The group processes over 100,000 tonnes of steel

annually and offers a range of specialised services
associated with the efficient provision of hot dip
galvanized coatings to steel.

Some of the groups hot dip galvanizing capabilities

include:

- 24 hour turnaround on negotiated contract

galvanizing.

- Heavy lift galvanizing (exceeding 20 tonnes) in

specific plants.

- Large bath sizes in most major centres to

accommodate long or wide fabrications

- Project management capabilities to co-ordinate

steel to construction site.
This Hunter Valley (NSW, Australia) coal mine
construction illustrates Industrial Galvanizers ability
- Design assistance in detailing project steelwork to supply widely based projects. Steel for this project
to facilitate galvanizing and reduce coating time was galvanized in Industrial Galvanizers facilities
and cost. in Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney and Melbourne.

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