Overview

Developments in the Continuous

Galvanizing of Steel
Glenn W. Bush

INTRODUCTION
The performance history of gal- For several decades, galvanized steel has been an engineering material of choice
vanized steels, particularly in the au- for applications demanding corrosion resistance. These zinc-coated steels have a
tomotive industry, has heightened proven history of successful performance in diverse applications, ranging from
demand for both hot-dip galvanized guard rails and garbage cans to agricultural buildings and automotive parts.
and electrogalvanized products. Such Galvanized steel provides low-cost, effective performance by combining the corro-
marketability has led to the commis- sion resistance of zinc with the strength and formability of steel. The zinc coating
sioning ofseveral new galvanizing lines protects the steel from rust and corrosion by providing a barrier layer. When this
in recent years. Still, for this time- layer is broken, it provides continued protection through a "sacrificial" or electro-
honored coating process to remain com- chemical action. The steel provides an inexpensive engineering material with
petitive, researchers are investigating mechanical properties that can be tailored to specific applications.
methods to improve surface appear- CONTINUOUS HOT·DIP GALVANIZING
ance, coating uniformity, corrosion re-
sistance and cost effectiveness. Hot-dip galvanized steel is produced on three different types of continuous
processing lines (Table I), which prepare and coat the steel in one operation. These
lines are distinguished from each other by the method of surface preparation used
for the steel and by whether or not the steel is annealed prior to processing.
Table I. Types of Hot-Dip In the flux (cold) process, the steel is cleaned in an alkaline solution, pickled
Galvanizing Processes lightly and coated with a flux which is dried at 400-500°F prior to galvanizing. The
Distinguishing Features steel being coated is not annealed as part of this process. In the Sendzimir and non-
Type & Surface Preparation oxidizing processes, residual rolling oils are usually burnt off as the steel is heated
Flux* Liquid Cleaning to temperatures as high as 1,200°F. The hot strip is then passed into another
and Pickling furnace where it is annealed and cooled prior to galvanizing. In the anneal-in-line
Sendzimirl process, the steel surface is cleaned by an alkaline solution before it is annealed and
Non-oxidizing! Thermal Cleaning is cooled prior to galvanizing.
and Preheating
Anneal-in-line! Liquid Cleaning
In all ofthese processes, the steel is coated by passing it through a bath of molten
*No annealing zinc and withdrawing it from the bath through a pair of gaseous jets. These jets
tAnnealing blow off the excess molten zinc which adheres to the steel surface and leave a film
of molten zinc of controlled thickness. As this film solidifies, grains or crystals of
solid zinc form, giving the surface the spangled or flowery appearance associated
with hot-dip galvanized products.
The hot-dip products produced by these processes have been used extensively in
agricultural, construction and numerous other applications. These products nor-
mally have relatively thick coatings (5-20 /lm) and are ideal for applications
requiring maximum corrosion resistance.
ELECTROGALVANIZING
Electrogalvanized steel is also produced on continuous processing lines (Figure
1), which prepare and coat the steel in one operation. On these lines, the steel is
cleaned in an alkaline solution and lightly pickled before the coating operation.
None ofthe electrogalvanizing lines include the annealing of the steel as an inte-
gral operation. Electrogalvanizing lines are distinguished from each other by the
type of plating cell used for the coating operation. The cells are called either hori-
zontal, vertical or radial to describe the relative orientation ofthe strip (cathode)
and the anodes during the operation (Figure 2). The cells may use either soluble or
insoluble anodes and either chloride or sulfate-based electrolytes.
In each of the different types of electrogalvanizing lines, the steel is coated by the
electrochemical reduction of metal ions on the surface of the steel. The coating

Cleaner/Rinse Plating Cells

Dual Entry Exit Dual

Pay-off Welder Accumulator Pickle/Rinse Plater Rinse Accumulator Take-up
Figure 1, A schematic drawing of a modern Reels Reels
electrogalvanl:zing line.

34 JOM • August 1989

thickness is controlled by the amount of current applied and the strip speed which Conductor Rolls
determines the residence time in the cells. The resulting deposit has a smooth,
matte-gray appearance and is more uniform in thickness than the coating on a hot- Hold-Down
Rolls
dip product.
Although electrogalvanizing technology has been used on a commercial scale for Strip - - - - - - - l Wringer
many decades, the relatively thin coatings (up to 5 /lm) produced limited its Rolls
application to either interior use or those situations where improved paintability
and/or temporary corrosion resistance were desired.
MARKET HISTORY Anode
Sink Roll
The successful use of hot-dip galvanized steel in its traditional applications led
to a steady market growth throughout the 1950s and 1960s. These markets became
stagnant from 1970 to 1980 (Figure 3). However, in the late 1970s, as automakers Electrolyte - - - " ' t -
began to implement their "5/10" warranty programs (promising no cosmetic
corrosion for five years and no perforation corrosion for 10 years) an enormous
demand was instantaneously created for corrosion-resistant automotive materi- a
als. It was generally accepted that galvanized steel would provide the corrosion
resistance required, and the sale of hot-dip galvanized steel expanded rapidly. Conductor Deflector
Hot-dip products have historically shown some variation in coating thickness Roll Roll
and surface appearance, limiting their potential use in automotive applications.
The variations in coating thickness adversely affected weldability while the vari-
ations in surface appearance were not totally adequate for the very high visibility
applications requiring undistorted gloss and reflectivity. Also, the steel chemis-
tries and thermal cycles used in hot-dip galvanizing did not produce materials with
formability equivalent to that obtainable in identical cold-rolled steels.
These disadvantages of hot-dip galvanized steel led to the development of an Anode Anode
electrogalvanized steel specifically for use in exposed automotive body panels. The Bridge
first large-scale commercial production of this product began in 1976 with the
introduction of a one-side zinc coated product for hoods and fenders. The success
of this product clearly demonstrated the viability of electrogalvanizing as a large
volume commercial coating process. Until that time, over 90% of the galvanized Plating DC Power
Electrolyte Supply
steel shipped had been produced by the hot-dip process. In 1985 and 1986, the steel
industry commissioned five new electrogalvanizing lines, having a combined b
capacity of over 2,000,000 tons, to meet this increased demand (Table II).
This automotive market demand also resulted in extensive developmental pro-
Conductor
grams involving automakers, steel suppliers, pretreatment suppliers and paint
Rolls Anodes
companies to provide adequate supplies of suitable corrosion-resistant materials.

Hot-Dip Galvanizing
DEVELOPMENTS IN GALVANIZED STEEL
i~~~~~j
I I

An early development in hot-dip galvanizing was the incorporation of an in-line

thermal treatment after the coating process to produce an 8-12% iron-zinc alloy c
coated product. The resulting product had a smoother, spangle-free, matte surface Figure 2. Three types of plating cells for
appearance with weldability almost equivalent to cold-rolled steel. This develop- electrogalvanizing. (a) The vertical cell. (b)
ment was a major improvement which extended the use of hot-dip products to The radial cell. (c) The horizontal cell.
many more unexposed applications and to the less-critical exposed applications.
Initially, the thermal process utilized gas-fired furnaces while a recently developed 8r--------------------,
process employs induction heating of the coated steel.
A second major development was the use of special chemistry, or interstitial-free 7
(IF), steels and the processing ofthose steels on existing hot-dip galvanizing lines
to improve formability. A galvanizing line constructed recently overseas even
utilizes a full, continuous sheet annealing process prior to coating to produce steels 6
with superior formability. Hot-Dip Galvanizing
Recent developments in the coating process include improved tracking and (All Markets)
5
shape control of the strip as it passes through the coating control jets, the use of U)
c
high-volume, low-pressure gaseous jets, and the use of nitrogen as the wiping gas
0
l-

and as a shroud or cover for the zinc pot. These improvements permit the e
U) 4
c
production of a smoother surface with a more uniform coating thickness. ~
~
Electrogalvanizing 3 3,060,000
A major development in electrogalvanizing has been the introduction of alloy
coating processes. Presently, both 15% iron-zinc and 12% nickel-zinc coated pro- 2,260,000 2,070,000
2
ducts for automotive applications are being produced to reduce processing costs by '- 2,050,000
providing thinner coatings with superior weldability and paintability as well as Hot-Dip Galvanizing 1,430,000
corrosion resistance at least equivalent to the thicker, pure zinc coatings. (Automotive) 900,000
Dual-layer and composite coatings are the second major development in elec- 396,000 572 ,000 700,000
trogalvanizing. Dual-layer coatings consist of a very thin electrodeposited surface 219,000 f Electrogalvanizing
layer applied to the surface of a thicker electrodeposited coating. The purpose of o 52400 310,0/ 460,000 (Automotive)
these coatings is to modify the product surface to improve paintability while 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
retaining desirable characteristics such as the weldability of the thicker coating. Year
An example is a 90% iron-zinc coating applied over a 12% iron-zinc coating. Figure 3. Shipments of galvanized steel,
A composite coating is an organic coating applied over a thinner electrodeposited according to annual statistical reports of the
coating. The purpose of these coatings is to provide improved corrosion resistance American Iron and Steel Institute.

1989 August • JOM 35