Yellow Zinc Plating

The various types of zinc plating can be identified by the color produced by the different formulations.

Yellow zinc plating.

I am trying to persuade our engineering department to allow us to make the switch to have our hardware clear zinc plated. A metallurgical bond is formed between the zinc and steel forming an iron rich alloy with tenacious bond. The zinc corrodes before the steel does sacrificing itself for the benefit of the steel. Zinc plating is one of the more versatile plating finishes.

Yellow zinc plating means zinc plating followed by a yellow chromate conversion coating. Zinc plating is a most valuable tool when used in combating corrosion of steel. The dilemma clear zinc silver zinc or yellow zinc plating. The finish has outstanding resistance to salt spray greatly surpasses the normal 96 hour salt spray resistance specified for yellow chromates on zinc.

The process may be done in plating barrels or by racking the individual parts and usually involves cleaning activating zinc plating chromate conversion coating and drying with good rinsing between each stage. When we were deciding what color zinc coating to use for our non powdercoated steel parts that are going to see moisture and salt we were asked whether we wanted to use silver clear zinc or yellow zinc. P 1265 the coating serves as a corrosion inhibitor as a primer to improve the adherence of paints and adhesives as a decorative finish or to preserve electrical conductivity. Liquid concentrate is used at 0 5 to 3 by volume in water at 65 to 90 f.

Yellow zinc this type of zinc coating is commonly used in the automotive industry and offers an average level of protection against corrosion. Plating thickness can be regulated for a very thin coating of 00015 to 001 for severe corrosive environments. The yellow chromate is a yellow bronze iridescent finish on plated cadmium and zinc. Chromate conversion coating or alodine coating is a type of conversion coating used to passivate steel aluminium zinc cadmium copper silver titanium magnesium and tin alloys.

Each color offers different levels of corrosion protection. Zinc chromate zn cr o 4 is a chemical compound containing the chromate anion appearing as odorless yellow powder or yellow green crystals but when used for coatings pigments are often added. A discussion started in 2011 but continuing through 2018. It can be used for corrosion resistance aesthetics or as a paint base over the zinc plated metal.