Tuesday, April 9, 2013

HOW A DUPLEX SYSTEM WORKS

Before deciding how to protect steel from
corrosion, it is important to understand how steel
corrodes. Corrosion takes place because of
differences in electrical potential between small
areas on the steel surface that become anodic and
cathodic. When an electrolyte connects the anodes
to the cathodes, a corrosion cell is created.
Moisture in the air forming condensation on the
steel surface is the most common electrolyte. In
the electrolyte, a small electrical current begins to
flow. The iron ions produced at the anode
combine with the environment to form the loose,
flaky iron oxide known as rust.
In order to protect steel from corrosion,
something must interfere with the corrosion cell,
either by blocking the electrolyte or by becoming
the anode. Two common methods of corrosion
protection are cathodic protection (the formation
of another anode) and barrier protection (blocking
the electrolyte from the steel surface). Hot-dip
galvanizing alone affords both types of protection,
and painting or powder coating over hot-dip galvanizing
adds an additional barrier layer on top of the zinc coating,
thus enhancing the protection afforded to the steel.  Duplex
coatings also offer the element of color to your project,
making it more aesthetically pleasing.

Fortress Fusion Coatings specializes in duplex coatings,
specifically in powder coating over galvanizing.  We
would be happy to discuss your project with you and
answer any questions you may have.

Fortress Fusion Coatings, Inc.
1-800-244-4258
(315) 736-8311
info@whyrust.com
http://www.whypowder.com