116
®
Coated and stainless steels
IN THIS SECTION...
Coated and stainless steels
1. Coated steels
2. Stainless steels
Finishes
will be gradually corroded in preference to the underlying steel.
Corrosion products from the zinc will also be deposited onto
the steel, effectively re-sealing the surface and maintaining the
integrity of the barrier.
NOTE
: Any white marks due to the formation of zinc
hydroxycarbonate which might appear on the surface have no
influence on the corrosion resistance. This is in fact the very
principle on which galvanic protection is based.
Geomet
®
Geomet is a treatment based on zinc and aluminium. As it
does not contain any chromium VI (hexavalent), it complies with
the RoHS Directive.
Offering protection equivalent to GC, it is used for small
accessories and fixings which are difficult to hot dip galvanise.
EZ+
EZ+ is an additional organic finish applied over standard
electrozinc plated steel wire cable trays, offering a durable
surface treatment for temporary external installations during the
construction phase.
Cablofil EZ+ brings with it a Class 6 alternative to a hot dip
galvanised finish (GC) according to IEC 61537. Salt spray tests
carried out demonstrate that EZ+ exceeds the performance of
a standard hot dip galvanised finish (no red rust after more than
550 hours exposure to salt spray test, according to ISO 61537).
The same ‘Class 6’ classification is achieved after products are
subjected to a simulated 2 year ageing process under
UV conditions.
Z+
Alloy compound of 94% zinc, 3% aluminium and 3%
magnesium, coated steel with high elastic yield. Compatible with
hot dip galvanised products and has Class 8 properties according
to IEC 61537. Products self-regenerate when cut. Z+ products are
compatible with hot dip galvanised / EZ+.
Powder coated
Resin-based paint is applied to the steel wire cable tray using an
electrostatic powder and then cured in an oven. The entire range
of RAL colours can be obtained. Mainly used for aesthetic reasons
and to help identify cable routes, it offers very good corrosion
resistance.
Z+
EZ+
1
Coated steels
Pre-galvanised
EN 10346 (accessories only)
Before manufacture, a coating of zinc is deposited by continuous
immersion on to the steel.
Electrogalvanising after manufacture
1
EN 12329 standard
This coating process is often referred to as bright zinc plating
(BZP). Electroplating with zinc may be used when a smooth bright
decorative finish is required. Parts can be coloured or colourless
depending on the type of passivation process used. It is generally
used for internal applications where a low degree of corrosion
resistance is acceptable. Electroplating involves connecting the
metal substrate to a negative terminal of a direct current source
and another piece of metal to a positive pole, and immersing both
metals in a solution containing ions of the metal to be deposited,
in this case zinc.
Ongoing protection
When steel wire cable tray is cut, the level of protection is not
affected. The jaws of the bolt cropper drag a layer of zinc across
the cut end which forms a protective layer.
Hot dip galvanised after manufacture
BS EN ISO 1461 standard
Hot dip galvanising after manufacture is an excellent, economical
protective finish used on support systems in many industrial and
commercial applications.
Background
The galvanised coating is applied as a final manufacturing process
by immersing a steel component (after various pre-treatments) in
a large bath of molten zinc; the zinc forms an alloy with the steel
substrate and protects the steel from corrosion in two ways.
Firstly, the zinc coating surrounds the base steel with a total,
tough physical barrier preventing corrosion of the steel by the
surrounding atmosphere. Secondly, if steel does become exposed,
e.g. at a cut edge, the zinc coating acts as a sacrificial anode and
Zn anode
Zinc hydroxide
Fe cathode
GS
EZ
GC
DC
1:
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