Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header

Dry flux modification for coating quality improvement of silicon steels and reduction of zinc consumption in hot-dip galvanizing

Article Category

Article available in the following languages:

Environmentally friendly galvanizing process

Galvanizing is an important process in industrial manufacturing and has a bearing in a number of sectors. In spite of its wide applicability, however, there is a clear need for novel cost-effective galvanizing methods with low environmental impact.

Industrial Technologies icon Industrial Technologies

Hot dip galvanizing can be briefly defined as the application of zinc (Zn) coating to fabricated iron or steel material by immersing the material in a molten zinc bath. The Dry Flux Silicon STE project sought to address the issue of Zn reduction in the entire process, based on the potentially detrimental effects of Zn on the environment. Researchers devised a new method, according to which a new pre-treatment stage can lead to significant reductions in Zn consumption as well as fume emissions during galvanizing. The pre-treatment involves the chemical application of a copper layer on the material to be galvanized. The process also results in a drop in the formation of top dross, the Zn-rich upper layer of the flux solution created during galvanizing. This novel process was tested in a laboratory setting for over a year and has now been expanded to pilot scale where a number of further trials have been conducted with positive results. It is likely that the innovation described herein could render the galvanizing field more environmentally friendly while at the same time reducing costs.

Discover other articles in the same domain of application