Newly Galvanized Steel
No
Yes
Partially Weathered
Galvanized Steel
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Fully Weathered
Galvanized Steel
Maintenance Painting
of Duplex Systems
Yes
No, if spot painting
Yes, if fully repainting
Painting
Profiling
Galvanized Steel for
Cleaning
Preparing Hot Dip
Age of Galvanized Steel
Practical Guide for
Quick Guide to Surface Preparation for
Painting Over Galvanized Steel
Practical Guide for Preparing
Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel for Painting
Successfully painting over hot-dip galvanized steel,
also known as a duplex system, does not have to be a
difficult or confusing job. Just like painting over
anything else, proper surface preparation is the key to
creating an effective bond between the paint and
galvanized su rface.
A galvanized coating is mostly made up of zinc.
Zinc is great at protecting the steel from corrosion, but
its very reactive. Almost immediately after galvanizing,
particles of zinc oxide and hydroxide form on top of the
zinc coating. These particles, along with dirt and grease,
need to be properly removed from galvanized surfaces
in order to ensure the paint adheres to the galvanized
steel.
The following steps explain how to prepare the
galvanized surface to be painted successfully.
4 Steps for Good Surface Preparation
STEP 1 Know the Age of the
Galvanized Coating
Knowing the age of the galvanized steel ready to be
painted is important because age determines what type of
su rface preparation should be done. Early on, zinc oxide
and hydroxide hinder the paints ability to adhere to the
galvanized coating. However, over the course of six to 24
months the zinc surface weathers and forms a thin,
dense film of mostly zinc carbonate called the zinc patina.
Once the patina has fully formed, the particulates no
longer interfere with paint adhesion.
Galvanized coatings can generally be grouped into
three categories: newly galvanized, partially weathered,
and fully weathered. The length of time a galvanized
coating takes to reach each age level depends on
environmental conditions, such as humidity, temperature,
wind, etc.
Newly galvanized steel has been-hot dip galvanized
within 48 hours typically has very little zinc oxide or
hydroxide on its surface. Most painting of newly
galvanized steel is done in a shop environment.
Partially
w e a t h e r e d
galvanized steel is
more difficult to
pinpoint. As a rule, a
partially weathered
coating is between
48 hours and two
years old. Generally,
this coating has
some zinc oxide,
hydroxide and carbonate film, but the full zinc patina is not
yet formed.
Fully
galvanized
weathered
steel
is
generally older than two
years and has a fully
formed zinc patina.
STEP 2 Inspect the Galvanized
Coating
Chromate Testing
Sometimes galvanized steel is dipped in a chromate
bath immediately after galvanizing. The chromates can
greatly interfere with paint adhesion and must be removed
prior to painting. Although, some chromated galvanized
surfaces have a dull, flat gray finish, it can be difficult to
visually detect the use of chromates. If there is uncertainty
on whether the steel was chromate quenched, then the
galvanized surface needs to be tested for the presence of
chromates. This testing is fairly simple and is described in
ASTM B 201.
If chromates are found, the galvanized steel can either
be allowed to weather for approximately two years before
painting, or the chromates can be cleaned off using one
of the cleaning methods described in the next step.
Surface
Imperfections
Regardless of
the age of the
galvanized
coating,
it
shouldnt have
significant
bumpy
spots,
sharp
icicles,
high spots, or
extremely rough edges. This is important because
protrusions greater than the paints dry film thickness
(five -ten mils) interfere with adhesion and can cause
voids in the paint coating. To smooth out surface
blemishes, hand-file or power-sand the area. Be very
careful not to remove any more of the protective zinc
coating than absolutely necessary.
Touch-up and Repair
Check to see if there are any bare areas revealing
the underlying steel, such as drill holes or weld lines
and touch-up those areas. Large scratches and gouges
in the galvanized coating should also be repaired prior
to painting.
Complete the surface cleaning and profiling
appropriate for the age of the coating before repairing
th e zinc coating. Then th e damaged or bare areas
should be touch ed-up with
a product conforming to
ASTM A 780. These include
zinc-rich paints, or cold
galvanizing compounds. Be
sure the surface is even and
consistent after completing
touch-up.
If a touched-up surface
is to be powder coated, wait
24-48 hours before coating
in order to prevent blistering
of the powder coating.
Step 3 Clean the Galvanized Surface
Newly
Galvanized
Steel
No dirt or grease present.
Few
zinc
oxides
and
hydroxides formed. No major
cleaning necessary.
Partially
Weathered
Galvanized
Steel
Remove surface oxide and
Fully
Weathered
Galvanized
Steel
Requires minimal cleaning,
hydroxide film, as well as dirt
and grime.
such as a warm water power
wash to remove contaminants
from the surface. Power wash
should not exceed 1450 psi.
Maintenance
Painting of
Duplex
Systems
Clean dirt and other surface
contaminates from previously
painted areas.
The goal of su rface cleaning is to remove the
grease, dirt and oils from the galvanized surface in
order to promote paint adhesion.
If it is determined the galvanized surface needs to
be cleaned, any of the methods listed below can be
used. Remember, a cleaning solution is meant to clean
the zinc surface, not remove it. Some cleaners may
react poorly with certain paint systems. Be sure to
consult the paint manufacturer rega rding specific
cleaning instructions.
Alkaline solutions in the pH range of 11-12, but
not greater than 13, (dilute sodium hydroxide,
trisodium phosphate or similar solutions) can be
sprayed at a temperature ideally between 140 F
and 185 F. If the solution is brushed on, use a
nylon bristle brush not copper or steel. After
cleaning, thoroughly rinse with hot water and allow
to dry completely.
9
Solvent cleaning (mineral spirits, turpentine,
high-flash naphtha, or similar solvents) should be
used only if they can be applied with lint-free rags
or soft bristled nylon brush es. These rags and
brushes
must
be
changed
frequently to
avoid the respreading of
contamnants.
A f t e r
cleaning,
thoroughly
rinse
the
surface with
hot water and
allow to dry
completely.
Ammonia cleaning, which should be used in a
solution of one to two percent ammonia, is
usually only used when ash residue from the
galvanizing process is present. Apply the ammonia
solution with a nylon brush. Afte r cleaning,
thoroughly rinse the su rface with hot water and
allow to dry completely.
Thorough
rinsing
ensures
that
leftover
residue
from the
cleaning
solution
will not
interfere
with
paint
adhesion.
Step 4 Surface Profiling
Newly
Galvanized
Steel
Typically very smooth, will
benefit from profiling. Sweep
blasting while still warm (175390 degrees F) works well.
Partially
Weathered
Galvanized
Steel
Benefits from some surface
Fully
Weathered
Galvanized
Steel
Fully formed zinc patina. The
Maintenance
Painting of
Duplex
Systems
For spot repainting, no sur-
profiling.
profile is generally ideal. No
surface profiling is needed.
face profiling may be required.
For entire repainting, sweep
blasting may work best. Do
not remove too much zinc.
To promote paint adhesion, the profile of the
galvanized surface can be slightly etch ed. In order to
raise the surface profile, some of the zinc coating is
removed. Be very careful to remove as little zinc as
possible.
If the galvanized coating needs to be profiled, one
of the following methods can be used. When using a
chemical process, check with the paint manufacturer to
make sure it wont interfere with paint adhesion.
Sweep blasting is the most common way of profiling
galvanized steel. Particle size for a sweep blast of
galvanized steel should range between 200 and 500
microns (8-20 mils). Aluminum/ magnesium silicate can
be used to sweep blast, as can many types of natural
media like corn cobs, walnut shell, corundum,
limestone, and mineral sands with a Mohs hardness of
five or less. Conditions for sweep blasting are
recommended to be less than 50 percent humidity and
a minimum of 70 F. Consult SSPC Surface Preparation
Specification 7 for sweep blasting procedures.
1
Zinc phosphate treatments have been shown to
increase both paint adh esion and durability. They
can be applied by immersion, spray or soft bristle,
nylon brush. Only leave the treatment on th e
galvanized steel between three and six minutes.
Follow this with a clean water rinse and let dry. Do
not use phosphate treatments in conjunction with
zinc-rich paints.
Penetrating sealers are two-part epoxy
systems, applied approximately two mils thick.
They have been used as a su rface treatment on
difficult to clean su rfaces. Follow manufacturers
directions and always use a topcoat.
Wash primers should be applied to the
galvanized surface at a thickness between 0.3 and
0.5 mils. Thickness above 0.5 mils causes
adhesion problems. Because of this, wash primers
are best applied in shop conditions. Follow
manufacturers
directions
for
maximum
performance.
Acrylic passivation products should be applied
approximately 0.04 mils thick to a clean galvanized
surface. The coating should be completely dry
before painting.
Using Primers with Prepared Galvanized
Steel
After cleaning and profiling the galvanized su rface,
a primer coat is often used to help with paint adhesion.
Many types of paints react poorly when applied directly
on zinc coatings. Primers allow for the successful use
of many of
th ese paint
types. Zincrich
paints
have a great
track record
and
can
often
be
used as a
primer.
Priming
of galvanized
su rfaces
should be done as soon as possible after cleaning and
profiling. Because the zinc coating continually reacts
with the environment, zinc oxides and hydroxides
begin to build-up right away. Always apply primers
according to the manufactu rers directions and
specified paint system.
Duplex
System:
Hot dip
galvanized steel
Zinc-rich primer
Acrylic top coat
17
Common Failure Problems
Most failures of
duplex systems can
be traced to th ree
things: poor su rface
preparation,
overblasting,
or
paint thickness.
S u r f a c e
preparation
Taking the time to
correctly prepa re the
surface
strongly
contributes
to
good coating. The procedures in this booklet outline
proper surface preparation.
Overblasting When the galvanized coating is
overblasted, too much zinc is removed. Because the
zinc protects the steel from corrosion as the paint
wears away, the steel will rust if th e zinc isnt there to
protect it. If this is the case, then the duplex system
fails. To avoid this problem, be sure to use the correct
media for sweep blasting galvanized surfaces, and do
not blast in one area for too long.
Paint thickness When paint is not applied to
the manufacturers recommended thickness, the
duplex system can also fail. Too thin of a coating, and
the paint will wear away quickly. Too thick of a coating,
and the paint
may not cure
correctly and
cause adhesion
prob-
lems. Always
follow
the
manufacturers
tions
direcfor
application.
When attention and
time are taken with surface
preparation, painting over
galvanized steel will create
beautiful results.
For more information
about hot dip galvanized
steel and its preparation for
painting, contact the
American Galvanizers
Association at
800.HOT.SPEC. For information about paint selection and performance with
properly prepared hot dip galvanized steel, contact the
paint manufacturer.
Tel:
720-554-0900
Fax:
720-554-0909
www.galvanizeit.org
[email protected]
1999 American Galvanizers Association
The material in this publication has been developed to provide
accurate and authoritative information about painting over hot-dip
galvanized steel after fabrication. This material provides general
information only and is not intended as a substitute for competent
professional examination and verification as to suitability and
applicability. The publication of the material herein is not intended as
a representation or warranty on the part of the AGA. Anyone making
use of this information assumes all liability arising from such use.
