Hot-Dipped Galvanized Abrasion Resistance to Mechanical

Other coatings damage easily during shipment or through rough handling on the job site. Experts will argue that all organic forms of barrier protection (such as paint) by their nature are permeable to some degree. Galvanized coatings are impermeable. Furthermore, if the galvanized coating is physically damaged, it will continue to provide cathodic protection to the exposed steel. If individual areas of underlying steel or iron become exposed by as much as 1/4” in diameter, the surrounding zinc will provide these areas with cathodic protection for as long as the coating lasts.

Figure 1 below shows how corrosion will begin and immediately progress at a scratch or gap in a paint coating. Figure 2 shows how corrosion will be prevented at a scratch or gap in a zinc coating.

Figure 1

Figure 2