Why do we always see “zinc” in industrial anti-corrosion?

Hot-dip galvanizing, thermal spray zinc, cold spray zinc, epoxy zinc-rich…

Zinc, as a light-gray, low-potential metal, is chemically active. In dry air, it forms a dense zinc oxide film that prevents the underlying metal from further oxidation.

The reason zinc is the core is simple: it “sacrifices itself to protect steel.”

So the key value of zinc lies in its cathodic protection; when zinc and steel coexist, zinc with its lower electrode potential will oxidize first, consuming itself while protecting the steel substrate from corrosion.

In hot-dip galvanizing, the zinc layer tightly adheres to the steel surface. Even if part of the zinc layer is damaged, exposed steel corrodes slowly thanks to zinc’s cathodic protection.

Epoxy zinc-rich coatings disperse zinc powder evenly in epoxy resin. After drying, the coating not only provides cathodic protection from zinc but also a sealing barrier from the resin.

Cold spray zinc forms a zinc layer through high-pressure spraying, also relying on the sacrificial anode effect for long-term protection.

Epoxy zinc-rich offers a double barrier of resin + zinc powder, while cold spray zinc directly builds a zinc layer. The principle is the same—zinc is consumed first, steel stays intact.

With zinc powder being widely available, cost-effective, and easy to process, it has become the irreplaceable “core guardian” in heavy-duty anti-corrosion.

Moreover, zinc powder is abundant, relatively cost-effective, and suitable for large-scale industrial use—making it the irreplaceable “core guardian” in heavy-duty anti-corrosion