Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Galvalume vs. Zincalume
Q. We are an architecture firm in So. Cal. and we are working on a light commercial building. In reviewing material submittals we have been given a sample labeled Galvalume Plus which the contractor says is the same as our specification for Zincalume.
What is the difference, if any, between these two finishes and which performs best when left exposed to weather (i.e. unpainted)?
architecture - Los Angeles, California
2003
A. Galvalume is licensed to Steelscape, Inc. They manufacture it under the name "Zincalume." In other words - it's the same thing.
Jeffrey Benjamin- Los Angeles, California
June 26, 2008
A. You may want to talk to Bethlehem Steel, they may disagree:
Galvalume is licensed to BIEC (Bethlehem Steel) of Vancouver, Washington.
Zincalume is licensed to Bluescope of Australia. Steelscape is owned by Bluescope.
- Warren, Ohio
February 10, 2009
Q. I would like to know, if I want to use one of them (Galvalume or Zincalume) with concrete, which one is better in order to minimize the corrosion?
Thank you.
Regards,
Teddy
- Jakarta, Indonesia
April 14, 2009
A. Hi, Teddy. It sounds to me like people are saying it is two different licensed names for the identical process. But at this point, contact the two suppliers and see which you wish to buy from if you even have a choice. Aluminum is not great in the alkaline environment of concrete; you may find that the product is not suitable for use with concrete :-)
Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
September 23, 2009
A. Both are same. Its Galvalume that's produced under the name Zincalume licensed to BIEC, which is a subsidiary of Bluescope Steel, Australia. The JSW ISPAT industries in India has license from BIEC to produce Galvalume.
Vishal Nadar- Mumbai, India
September 13, 2011
Q. WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW WE CAN DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN ZINCALUME SHEET VS PRECOATED SHEET.
RR patel- VADODARA, GUJARAT, India
March 22, 2012
A. Hi, RR. If I have misunderstood, sorry, and please clarify ... but since Zincalume is a licensed product, it's only Zincalume if you can prove it through a purchase order/labeling trail. Just as there is no software test to prove that a software program was licensed by Microsoft and is not a bootleg copy, it seems to me that there will be no chemical or metallurgical test to prove that a coating is Zincalume.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
March 22, 2012
Q. Dear all, I want to know what is the use of calm section in Galvalume Line, and why do we purge Preheated HNx in Galvalume Line?
AJEET GUPTA- ANGUL, ODISHA, India
November 1, 2015
A. This question is more properly addressed to Galvalume, who presumably licenses the process you are using.
Tom Rochester
CTO - Jackson, Michigan, USA
Plating Systems & Technologies, Inc.
November 2, 2015
November 18, 2015
ACRONYMS:
HNx = A mixture of hydrogen and Nitrogen gas used to prevent oxidation and to "clean" the strip during the annealing process
A. With regards to a "calm section" within a galvalume process, I am assuming you are speaking of the snout section of the line. HNx gas is usually not injected here as a positive pressure in the SC zone creates a barrier between the snout itself and the slow cooling zone. This allows for the blockage of zinc dust ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] particulates from breaching into the furnace itself. While the strip is traveling through the snout it is creating turbulence. This turbulence generally keeps dust from attaching itself to the strip which would create defects. The slower the strip speed the less turbulence and a higher probability of dust settling on the strip surface. HNx gas from my experience is not preheated when introduced to the furnace.
Mark Postema- Murrieta, California, USA
November 19, 2015
Q. Dear Mark Postema,
Calm section is different from snout.
Calm section is just after RCS and just before HBR, and snout is just after HBR and just before pot.
Schematic diagram is as follows:
Rapid Cooling Section---Calm Section---Hot Bridle Roll---Snout---Pot.
NOW MY QUESTION IS SAME AS ABOVE.
What is the use of calm section in Galvalume Line, and why do we purge Preheated HNx in Galvalume Line? Can we Purge HNx through snout while processing Galvalume?
Bhushan Steel Ltd - ANGUL, ODISHA, India
Galvalume/zincalume-coated steel structural studs
Q. I find that G60 steel is commonly available for steel studs, but do not find galvalume/zincalume finishes offered for these materials. After my positive experience with steel roof panels with galvalume finish (with paint, of course), I wonder why this great finish is not commonly available for metal (steel) framing. Do you have any insight in to why this might be?
Arthur OgawaBudding building scientist (high energy-efficient structures) - Three Rivers, California US
July 30, 2019
A. Galvalume reacts to concrete very negatively while galvanized does not. One of the rare drawbacks of galvalume/zincalume.
Mark Postema- Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA
October 12, 2019
Thanks for your response to my query!
It makes sense (from chemistry) that aluminum would react badly to concrete.
- Three Rivers California US
October 19, 2019
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