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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Aluminum vs Iron

I would like to know how corrosion durable is a Zinc coated (galvanized) grey iron for an outdoor usage. I should place a long lasting outdoor structure and I have to decide whether to make it from Aluminum (Alodine coated) or Zinc coated grey Iron. Aluminum is 150% expensive in this case.

Gon
- Israel
2003

The best coating would be chromated aluminum followed with painting or powder coating, or a duplex coating of galvanizing followed by painting or powder coating. But it sounds like you don't want to paint the item but rather leave the metallic surface. In that case, I think galvanized steel will outlast chromate conversion coated aluminum. But the other alternative, if it only needs to look metallic without actually being conductive, would be anodized aluminum, which should easily outlast the other alternatives.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

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