Industrial Galvanizers
Specifiers Manual
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32. Surface Preparation for painting Galvainzed Coatings
There are many instances where hot dip galvanized coatings need to be painted. There are well established
quality assurance procedures for the painting of hot dip galvanized components in a controlled
environment, but it a common requirement to apply paint coatings to hot dip galvanizing under separate
contract arrangements or on site.
When a steel item is first hot dip galvanized, its surface is free from oxidation and contamination and is in
the best condition for coating. It is also highly susceptible to oxidation, particularly reaction with
atmospheric moisture. Most galvanizers quench the work in a weak sodium dichromate solution to
passivate the surface. This chromate passivation film weathers away with time and is replaced by a stable
complex carbonate oxide film. This dynamic set of surface conditions needs to be considered when
painting galvanized steel.
In addition, surface contamination can occur that will interfere with paint adhesion. Diesel fumes are a
common source of surface contamination that is very difficult to detect, as the galvanized coating may
still appear clean and bright.
Handling the galvanized items with dirty or oilcontaminated gloves can leave residues on the surface of
the galvanizing that will interfere with the adhesion of the paint coating.
Where close control of surface condition is not possible, the best alternative to ensure a high quality paint
application is to brush or sweep blast the galvanized surface immediately prior to painting. This is a
poorly understood technique with many paint contractors. Incorrect technique will cause serious damage
to the hot dip galvanized coating.
The following specification is recommended for abrasive blasting of hot dip galvanized surfaces prior to
painting.
Compliance with this specification will ensure that not more than 10 microns of zinc will be removed
from the galvanized coating during the blasting process, and that the coating will not be damaged by
fracturing of the alloy layers through excessive impact energy of the blast media on the galvanized
coating.
Brush or Sweep Blasting Procedures for preparing Hot Dip
Galvanizing for Painting
1. Blast nozzle pressure 40 psi (280 kpa) maximum
2. Abrasive grade 0-2 - 0.5 mm
3. Abrasive type - clean limonite or garnet
4. Distance of nozzle from surface 400 - 500mm
5. Nozzle type - 10mm minimum diameter venturi type
6. Blasting angle to surface - 45 degrees
The aim of this blasting procedure is to remove any oxide films and surface contaminants from the
surface. It is NOT to produce a profile similar to that required on bare steel. The brush blasting of the
relatively soft zinc will automatically produce a fine profile, giving the clean surface a satin appearance.
With inexperienced operators, a test section should be evaluated by measuring coating thickness before
and after blasting with an approved magnetic thickness gauge.
A maximum 5-10 micron reduction in galvanized coating thickness indicates an acceptable technique.
Over 10 microns of coating removed indicates an unacceptable technique.
On reactive steel, the coating may already have a matte gray or satin appearance. This indicates the
presence of the zinc-iron alloy layers at the surface, which also indicates a thicker than standard
galvanized coating. Grey galvanized coatings are more susceptible to mechanical damage than shiny
coatings and should be treated accordingly.
The micro-roughness of the alloy layers already provides a good mechanical key for appropriate paint,
and only very light brush blasting is required on galvanized coatings of this type.
Weathering of the galvanized surface will generally result in any residual chromate passivation films
being removed. However, the galvanized surface can also accumulate corrodents during the weathering
period and should be evaluated for cleanliness prior to any coating application.
With weathered galvanizing, free of organic contamination, high pressure water blasting of the surface
will often be sufficient to ensure adequate coating adhesion to the galvanizing, given that appropriate
primers are used.
© Industrial Galvanizers 2013 │ Website Design by www.noddingdogdesign.com
1. Specifiers Manual
2. Industrial Galvanizers Company Profile
3. Adhesion of Protective Coatings
4. Bolting Galvanized Steel
5. Buried Galvanized Steel
6. Concrete Durability & Galvanized Rebar
7. Corrosion Mapping
8. Cost Factors for Hot Dip Galvanized Coatings
9. Custom Coating Packages
10. Cut Edge Protection
11. Designing for Galvanizing
12. Illustrated Guide to Design for Galvanizing
13. Dew Point Tables
14. Difficult Steels for Galvanizing
15. Documentation - Correct Paperwork ensus efficient Processing
16. Environmental Issues for Industrial Coatings
17. Zink, Human Health and Environment
18. Defects in Galvanized Coatings
19. Galvanic Series
20. Glossary of Galvanizing Terms
21. Guarantees for Hot Dip Galvanized Coatings
22. Life Cycle Costs of Industrial Protective Coating Systems
23. Painting over Galvanized Coatings
24. Powder Coating over Galvanized Coatings
25. Quality and Service Factors affecting Galvanized Coatings
26. Restoration of previously Galvanized Items
27. Repair of Galvanized Coatings
28. Steel Strentgh and Hot Dip Galvanizing
29. Standards - AS/NZS 4680:2006
30. Standards - Australian and International Standards
31. Steel Surface Protection
32. Surface Preparation for painting Hot Dip Galvanized Coatings
33. Thickness measurement of Protective Coatings
34. Welding Galvanized Steel
35. An Introduction to the Hot Dip Galvanizing Process
36. Zinc Coating Processes - Other Methods
37. Galvanized Coatings and Bushfire
38. Liquid Metal Assisted Cracking of Galvanized Structural Steel Sections
39. Galvanizing 500N Grade Reinforcing Bar
40. Predicting the Life of Galvanized Coatings
41. Chemicals in Contact with Galvanized Coatings
42. Atmospheric Corrosivity Assessment
43. Global Warming - Climate Change and Galvanizing
44. Steel - Its Corrosion Characteristics
45. Galvanized Steel and Timber
46. White Rust Prevention and Treatment
47. Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel and Galvanizing
Specific abrasive blasting parameters are required when preparing galvanized surfaces for
painting. The same techniques used for preparing ‘black; steel will damage the galvanized
coating.
