PAINTING OVER HOT DIP GALVANIZED STEEL

Thomas J. Langill, Ph.D., Technical Director

American Galvanizers Association

12200 E. Iliff Ave. Suite 204
Aurora, CO 80014

Abstract: Duplex systems, also known as painting over The adhesion of paint onto galvanized steel becomes
hot dip galvanized steel, are extremely effective corrosion a very small problem when the galvanized coating has
protection systems. However, careful surface preparation weathered for at least a one-year period. The zinc
techniques need to be used to alleviate potential coating corrosion products form a very dense, insoluble protective
failures. Use the age and characteristics of the galvanized layer that accepts a paint coat readily. A brand new
coating to determine what type of surface preparation is galvanized coating also experiences few adhesion
needed. problems within the first 24 to 48 hours after coating.

GALVANIZED COATING

Hot-dip galvanized coatings can be applied in two

different ways. The parts can be fed into a liquid zinc bath
INTRODUCTION in a continuous roller process where the coating
characteristics are highly dependent on the speed of the
Hot-dip galvanized steel parts or assemblies are
steel through the liquid zinc bath. The two most common
often required to be painted. The reason for painting can
steel products that are hot-dip galvanized using the
be to identify the particular structure, for architectural
continuous process are sheet and wire. The objective of
reasons, to provide a particular type of protection, or to
the continuous process is to deposit a zinc coating that is
extend the service life of an existing structure. The
smooth, thin and composed of nearly all zinc bath metal
combination of a paint system with a hot-dip galvanized with very little zinc-iron intermetallic. The coating can be
coating is often referred to as a duplex system (1). alloyed to form a dull gray intermetallic coating which has
When paint and galvanized steel are used together, the a good surface profile and can be easily painted.
corrosion protection is superior to either protection system
used alone (2). The second type of hot-dip galvanizing process is often
called the batch process since individual steel pieces or
The application of a paint system onto a hot dip assemblies are dipped in a molten zinc bath as individuals
galvanized surface requires careful surface preparation
or as groups. The coating is formed by the interdiffusion
and a good understanding of both corrosion protection
systems. The margin for error is very small when dealing of zinc and iron. A micrograph of a typical batch hot-dip
with newly galvanized steel surface preparation. galvanized coating is shown in Fig. 1. The coating forms
However, there have been many examples of paint four distinct layers or intermetallics. The first layer is
adhesion problems on older or more moderately aged called the gamma layer and has 75 % zinc and 25% iron.
galvanized steel surfaces, and the most common cause is The next layer is called the delta layer and has 90% zinc
improper or incomplete surface cleaning and preparation and 10% iron. The third layer is called the zeta layer and
(3). When the surface is cleaned and prepared correctly has 94% zinc and 6% iron. The final layer is called the eta
the combined paint and galvanized steel corrosion layer and has 100% zinc and no iron.
protection system gives extremely long lifetimes (4). If
the paint is properly maintained on the galvanized surface During the batch hot-dip galvanizing process, a
there is practically no limit on the life of the structure in number of process variables can affect the coating
terms of corrosion attack. thickness. The primary determiner of coating thickness is
the steel chemistry, with the most influential elements
GALVANIZING TIME ( Minutes

Fig. 1 Microstructure of Hot-Dip Galvanized Coating

on Steel

Eta Layer

Zeta Layer

Delta Layer
Gamma Layer

Steel

being silicon and phosphorous. These two elements

promote the interdiffusion of zinc and iron and cause the
hot-dip galvanized coating to become thick and filled with
intermetallic. Fig. 2 shows the coating rate of two
different steels versus the time spent in the molten zinc
bath. The normal steel curve shows the galvanizing
reaction is self-limiting and will cease to increase the
coating weight when the diffusion of zinc and iron
becomes a very slow process. Whereas with the reactive
silicon steel, the reaction continues to add coating weight
to the part as long as the steel is in the galvanizing bath.
The reactivity of the steel is determined by the amount of
silicon and phosphorous in the steel.

The coating produced when the steel is reactive

contains mainly intermetallics of iron and zinc. This
means that the surface will not be bright and shiny, but
rather dull gray and slightly rough. This intermetallic
surface makes a very good anchor for paint systems. The

VS. Galvanizing Time for Two Different Steels

9
C
O 8
AT
IN 7
G Reactive silicon steel
W 6
EI
G 5
H
T 4
(o
z/ 3
Normal
sq 2 Steel

0 2 4 6 8 1 12
0
main concern with reactive steel galvanized coatings is the A hot-dip galvanized coating of zinc protects the steel
thickness of the coating. If the coating is too thick it may by providing both a barrier to atmospheric elements and
become brittle and will be susceptible to applied stresses cathodic protection to the steel. The corrosion protection
that may separate the galvanized coating from the steel of the zinc originates from the dense, insoluble corrosion
underneath. Knowing the silicon and phosphorous product layer that forms over time on the zinc surface.
content is very important to producing a quality Newly galvanized steel is bright and shiny, and is pure
galvanized zinc on the surface. This surface is fairly smooth, so
coating. during the first 24 to 48 hours after galvanizing only a
slight roughening of the surface is needed to prepare the
galvanized coating to be painted. The natural corrosion
GALVANIZED COATING SURFACE
conversion of the zinc metal on the surface to zinc oxide
Many galvanizers apply post treatments to their occurs within the first 12 months of exposure to the
galvanized coating to prevent the formation of wet environment. The conversion of zinc oxide to zinc
storage stain. Additionally, the galvanized part is hydroxide occurs soon after the zinc oxide is formed and
sometimes quenched in a water bath to accelerate cooling. depends on the amount of available water in the air, or as a
These treatments and quenching are to be avoided if the result of dew or condensation. The corrosion products,
galvanized part is to be painted. The post treatments will zinc oxide and zinc hydroxide, are water soluble so they
change the surface chemistry of the coating. While some are often washed off the zinc surface in the presence of
of these treatments, such as phosphating, produce better rain or condensation.
surfaces for painting, others, such as chromating, will
produce a surface that is difficult to paint. Consult with The final step in the corrosion cycle is the conversion
of zinc hydroxide and zinc oxide to zinc carbonate. This
the galvanizer and paint company before applying a post
treatment to galvanized steel that is to be painted. Water exposed surface. The carbon dioxide from the air reacts
quenching in itself is not harmful to the surface but the with the zinc oxides. This corrosion product, zinc
quench bath often has small amounts of oil, grease or flux carbonate, is insoluble in water and forms a very dense
on the surface which could interfere with paint adhesion. layer on the surface of the coating. This layer will erode
slowly in time but it mainly provides a barrier for the zinc
)
that have been exposed to the atmosphere for more than
Fig. 3 - Corrosion Cycle of Zinc Surface one year are completely covered with the zinc carbonate
layer.
ZINC ( METAL ) The two conditions of galvanized steel that need little
or no surface preparation are the newly galvanized part
that is less than 24 to 48 hours removed from the zinc bath
and the weathered galvanized steel part that has been
exposed to the atmosphere for more than one year. The
ZINC OXIDE
galvanized articles that do not meet these two conditions
need surface preparation to remove the zinc oxide and zinc
hydroxide from the coating. Unfortunately most
galvanized steel articles fall into this last category, as few
ZINC HYDROXIDE galvanizing facilities have painting capability in their
galvanizing plant. As a result, the parts are galvanized
and then shipped to a paint shop or to the field and painted
some days after they have been galvanized.
ZINC CARBONATE

metal underneath. The corrosion rate of the overall GALVANIZED STEEL SURFACE
system depends on the rate of zinc carbonate erosion or PREPARATION
dissolution. Very basic or very acidic solutions can
dissolve this layer extremely rapidly. The corrosion rate Successful surface preparation is the key to producing
adherent paint coatings and realizing the benefits of a
changes most rapidly in the low pH atmosphere because
duplex system. The pole shown in Fig. 5 has peeling
acidic solutions quickly dissolve the zinc carbonate layer.
This is seen in the corrosion rate chart of Fig. 4. A high
pH atmosphere can also shorten the life of the zinc Fig. 5 - Galvanized Pole with Peeling Paint
coating.

The zinc carbonate layer is a very dense and slightly

rough layer. Paint adhesion to this layer is extremely good
with little or no surface preparation. Galvanized articles

Fig. 4 - Corrosion Rate of Zinc versus pH of Atmosphere

Co
rro
sio
n
Ra
te

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
pH
paint as a result of poor surface preparation. The surface spraying the solution, the temperature range that works
contained zinc oxides and zinc hydroxides when the paint best is between 140 and 185 F. For newly galvanized
was applied. The coating appeared to adhere to the steel, a water-based emulsifier can be used to remove
surface, but after two to three years in service, the zinc contaminants. After cleaning, thoroughly rinse the surface
oxide began to separate from the underneath zinc metal. with hot water and allow to dry.
As paint was adhering to the zinc oxide, it separated from
Mineral spirits, turpentine, high flash naphtha, and
the pole surface at that time.
other typical cleaning solvents can be used to clean
Surface Cleaning galvanized surfaces provided they are applied with lint-
When cleaning a galvanized surface prior to painting, free rags or soft bristle brushes. The rags and brushes
the goal is to remove any dirt, grease or oils. At the same must be changed often to prevent reapplying the
time, care must be taken not to remove too much of the contaminants. After cleaning, rinse thoroughly with hot
galvanized coating. Alkaline cleaning, ammonia cleaning water and allow to dry completely.
and solvent cleaning are the most common ways of
A solution of 1 to 2 percent ammonia applied with a
removing dirt from a galvanized surface. As some
soft bristle brush can also be used to clean galvanized
cleaners may react differently with different paint systems,
the paint manufacturer should be consulted for specific surfaces, although this method is typically reserved for
reaction problems. cleaning parts with zinc ash residue. As a piece of steel is
removed from the galvanizing kettle, it may pick up
Oil, grease and dirt can be removed by using an particles of oxidized zinc from the bath surface, otherwise
alkaline solution in the pH range of 11 to 12, but not known as zinc ash. Ash residue must be removed prior to
greater than 13 as this will damage the zinc coating. Most painting. After cleaning, thoroughly rinse the surface with
alkaline cleaning solutions are nominally 2 to 5 percent hot water and allow to dry completely.
sodium compounds with small additions of emulsifying or
chelating agents. The solution can be applied through Surface Profiling.
dipping, spraying or brushing. If brushing is used, apply In order to provide a good adhesion profile for the
the solution with a soft bristle brush, preferably of nylon, paint, the galvanized surface must be flat with no
definitely not copper or steel bristle brushes. If dipping or protrusions and slightly roughened to provide an anchor
 irregular edge. The zinc can also form tears at the edge
Fig. 6 - Sweep Blasting of Galvanized Steel Surface where it drains off the part. These high spots and tears
must be removed before painting as they will be very
difficult to coat. The high spots and tears are usually
ground off with hand tools or power grinders. Care must
be taken when performing this operation to insure that the
galvanized coating is not removed below the specified
thickness.

In order to roughen the typically smooth galvanized

surface after cleaning, an abrasive sweep or brush blast
may be used. Care should be taken to prevent removing
too much of the zinc coating. Particle size for a sweep
blast of galvanized steel should range between 200 and
500 microns. Aluminum/magnesium silicate has been
used successfully in the sweep blasting of galvanized steel
as seen in Fig. 6. Organic media such as corn cobs and
walnut shells or minerals such as corundum, limestone and
sands with a Mhos hardness of five or less may also be
used.

The temperature of the galvanized part when blasting

can have a significant affect on the finished surface
profile. During the removal of the galvanized article from profile. Sweep blasting while the galvanized part is still
the zinc bath, the excess zinc runs down the edges of the warm from the galvanizing process, 175 to 390 F,
part and can sometimes build-up at a protrusion or provides an excellent profile for painting. Ambient
conditions for sweep blasting are recommended to be less
than 50 percent relative humidity and a minimum immersion, spray or soft bristle brush. The phosphate
temperature of 70 F.

The process of sweep blasting should not be confused

with the near white blasting that is used to clean uncoated
steel before applying paint systems. This near white
blasting will remove the galvanized coating and negate the
corrosion protection afforded by the zinc. The process of
sweep blasting is best performed by an experienced
applicator. If the sweep angle becomes near perpendicular
to the galvanized part, the blasting can quickly remove the
protective zinc rather than the zinc oxide particle on the
surface of the coating.

Penetrating Sealers
Two-part epoxy penetrating sealers are sometimes used
to form a 50 micron thick coating on the galvanized
surface after cleaning. These products can be particularly
effective as surface treatment methods on surfaces that
have had zinc oxide and zinc hydroxide removed during
the cleaning process. Follow the manufacturers
directions for application and always use a topcoat over
the penetrating sealer.

Zinc Phosphate Treatment

Zinc phosphating is a conversion coating that
passivates the zinc surface and blocks the formation of
zinc oxides. The phosphate treatment can be applied by
 PAINT SELECTION
When hot-dip galvanized steel is painted, the duplex
The proper selection of a paint system for a certain system provides a more sophisticated manner of corrosion
engineering need is the province of the architect and the protection. The galvanized coating protects the base steel
engineer. There are many options depending on the by providing both cathodic and barrier protection. The
intended use of the duplex coated part, the application paint coating acts as a barrier protection for the hot-dip
method and place for the paint system, environmental galvanized coating and significantly reduces the corrosion
concerns, and aesthetics of the total system. Many paint rate of the zinc. The overall affect on the base steel is that
companies offer good paint systems that are designed to the duplex system not only provides hot-dip galvanized
work with galvanized steel. Consult your paint life plus the paint life but also provides a multiplication
manufacturer for the proper paint selection. factor of 1.5 to 2.3 on the sum of these two lifetimes.

DUPLEX SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

Fig. 7 Duplex Systems Lifetimes (1)
should be left on the galvanizing surface between 3 and 6
minutes. The piece should then be washed with clean
water and allowed to completely dry. This type of
treatment is appropriate for most types of paints but does
not perform well with zinc-rich paints.

Wash Primers
This treatment uses a metal conditioner to neutralize
surface oxides and hydroxides, as well as etch the
galvanized surface. Wash primers should be applied to
the galvanized surface to form a protective layer 7 to 13
microns thick. If the thickness exceeds 13 microns, paint
adhesion can become a problem. The critical thickness
layer dictates that this process be done in shop conditions.
Field application of this treatment results in thick and
irregular protective layers. When using wash primers,
follow the manufacturers directions for maximum
performance.

Acrylic Passivation
This treatment uses an acidic acrylic solution to
passivate the galvanized surface, as well as to roughen the
smooth zinc coating. Acrylic passivation should be
applied approximately one micron thick to a clean
galvanized surface. The passivation layer should be dried
completely before applying paint to the surface.
The combined effect of the two corrosion protection 70 microns which has a lifetime of 9 years in an industrial
systems is shown in Fig. 7 from van Eijnsbergen (1). The atmosphere along with a paint coating of 100 microns
graph in the top right section shows the lifetime of which has a lifetime of 3 years in an industrial
atmosphere. The combined lifetime should then be 12
galvanized coatings in four types of atmospheres: a:
years but the actual lifetime of this duplex system is 18
industrial atmosphere, b: urban atmosphere, c: marine years.
atmosphere, and d: rural atmosphere. The number of
years for the coating is shown across the top and the The increased lifetime that can be provided with a
coating thickness is shown along the side. The lifetime of combination of paint over galvanized steel makes this type
a typical paint system is shown in the lower left section of of corrosion protection system very attractive for
the figure. In this graph the number of years is shown structures designed to last a long time in aggressive
along the side and the coating thickness is shown along atmospheres. If periodic maintenance is an option, the
the top. The third graph in this figure is the actual lifetime repainting of galvanized steel can provide virtually
of duplex systems with the number of years shown along unlimited lifetimes for a structure.
the top. An example is plotted for a galvanized coating of
 SUMMARY (4) R.W. Drisko, A Five-Year Study of Environmentally
Acceptable Coatings for Galvanized Steel, Journal of
Protective Coatings & Linings, pp. 27-34, September
(1995).

The painting of galvanized steel has been a difficult

task for many people. The secret of good painting on
galvanized steel is the surface preparation of the
galvanized surface. If the surface is newly galvanized,
that is less than 48 hours out of the zinc kettle, the surface
can be painted after a surface roughening procedure. If
the surface of the galvanized part has been exposed to the
environment for more than one year then the surface can
be painted after the dirt, grease and oils have been
removed. The most difficult time to paint galvanized steel
is between one day and one year after it has been
galvanized. Following the correct surface preparation
procedures can give a satisfactory duplex system.

REFERENCES
(1) J.F.H. van Eijnsbergen, Duplex Systems, Elsevier
Science, New York (1994).
(2) F. Porter, Zinc Handbook, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New
York (1991).
(3) J.F. Malone, Painting Hot Dip Galvanized Steel,
Materials Performance, Vol. 31, No. 5, pp. 39-42
(1992).