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

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Questions about zinc electroplating specification Fe/Zn8

adv.
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Q. When ASTM B633 specifies SC2 (Fe/Zn8) does this mean a minimum or an exact? Can the supplier send us material with a range of 8-12 microns with the 9-12 microns having a deposit build up which interferes with the functionality of our part?

Zn6 with passivate bi-chromatic

Q. We have had a request regarding ZN 6 Passivate Blue. What does the 6 mean?
Why Blue over gold or clear?

Also what is passivate bi-chromatic?

Are there any links to good websites describing the finishes and passivation process?

A. David,

ZN6 passivate blue is zinc plating with blue passivation using hexavalent chrome.
Now since hexavalent chrome is being phased out, blue passivation with trivalent chrome process is commercially available which is superior to dichromate type hexavalent chromium process. The neutral salt spay life before white rust as well as the finish is better than the latter.

However, yellow iridescent passivation (what you are referring to as "gold") has better corrosion resistance than blue passivation ("clear.")

K.V.Phadnis
- Mumbai, India

A. Zn6 is 6 microns of zinc.

John Martin
- Wales

! I have read your question and read the answers. I must admit both could be correct. I think you need to go back to your customer and ask him exactly what he wants. It is a problem in the plating game when a customer gives a "spec" like that (internal spec) that is not clearly understood by the plater.

Gary Joseph
Johannesburg,
South Africa

Multiple threads merged: please forgive chronology errors and repetition  🙂

Q. We are quoting a electroplate spec and want to better understand the "breakdown" of the spec. Ep-Fe/Zn8/CM2.

A. Ep : electroplate
Fe : substrate to be plated
Zn : kind of plating
8 : thickness (8 mic)
CM1 : blue chromate
CM2 : yellow chromate

Joko P. Yuniartanto
- Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia
May 11, 2009

A. Hi Kim. Hopefully Joko's reply answered your question satisfactorily. Still I would warn that several different zinc plating specs might include similar codes like Fe, Zn8, and CM2, while including additional requirements about testing, lot size, etc. So you probably should be careful to call it out as "ASTM spec. no xxxx type Fe/Zn8/CM2" or "ISO xxxx type Fe/Zn8/CM2" or "Nissan xxxx type Fe/Zn8/CM2" or whatever is the case :-)

Regards,

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

What is Fe/Zn 5 c 2C F-010

Q. I have a customer drawing that states on the finishing field the follows:
ZINC PLATE Fe/Zn 5 c 2C F-010.
As far as I know this is a Zinc Plating over steel, 5 microns, chromate; however I don't know what the rest of the spec. means "2C F-010".
Could somebody help me with this?

Q. According to my customer's drawing, it requires surface treatment: Fe/Zn 8 C5. I don't know what "Fe/Zn 8 C5" means. Please inform me if somebody knows, thanks.

Spec: Ep-Fe/Zn 8B free from Hexavalent Chromium (White)

Q. I have a print with this plate spec, and just want to make sure that I understand it correctly. As far as I know it is a .00031 min plate thickness, ROHS.

Is there a specific salt spray for this?

Any words of advise would be appreciated.

A. Hi Amy,
Yes the thickness is 0.00031 inch. This spec means white rust should not appear in 48H, and red rust in 96H more (total 144H).

Joko Prasetyo Yuniartanto
- Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia

A. We follow the detail FEZN8B.
Components require salt spray life up to 240 hours as per drawing of Honda components.

A.S. Kalsi
metal finisher - Gurgaon, Haryana, India

  Hi Amy,
That is not a spec, it is a code within an unspecified specification number.

Joko and A.S.'s contradictory answers should serve as a warning not to proceed without knowing what spec number you are supposed to be following :-)

Regards,

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

What is EP-FE/ZN10 BK Plating?

Q. Hello,

We have a customer from Japan that requires plating I have never heard. They are specifying Ep-Fe/Zn10 bk. I have contacted our plating shop and they have never heard of this type. It seems it is Zinc plating 10 microns thick, but what does the bk stand for? Please help.

Q. What is the meaning in the electrolytic coating spec "Fe/Zn8/F1" Pc:black passivation Cr+3 Fe/Zn8/F1 - FTR 00025 for an electrolytic coating of zinc on steel, with a minimal thickness of 8µ, is having a black layer of Chrome III passivation?

What type of plating is Ep-Fe/Zn 5/HB, CM2 C?

Q. We are quoting a job that has this requirement.

What does "TLP" mean in spec Fe/Zn8/TLP?

Q. What is the TLP meaning in the electroplate spec Fe/Zn8/TLP

Q. What is HB in 'Ep-Fe/Zn[2]/HB CM2'?

Q. What about CM(iii)3?

Q. What does EP-Fe/Zn-Ni8/CM2C mean? Could you help me to understand this specification?

I remain a bit shocked by this thread, cousins. The specs say what their codes mean. Are people actually issuing certs based on internet rumors?

Bone joor :-)

Q. We have some steel fasteners in our older drawings with a description of "GRADE 5, 2C". Our internal part number corresponds to, for example, McMaster 90126A031. I assume that the 2C designation is meant to suggest the zinc-plated finish but I haven't been able to find a standard that it would be associated with. The only references I've found are ASTM A193 (appears to refer to a heat treat for SST) and BS1706, where it doesn't mean much without additional context. Our customer is now asking for clarification so I need to come up with an answer. Can anyone give me a hint? Thanks!

What is SEZn-CM finishing?

Q. Hi, I'd like to find out what is SEZn-CM finishing. This is stated in my customer drawing under surface treatment so I'm checking what finishing is this.

Best regards

Q. Hi Team,

Anybody able to advise me whether DIN 50691 Fe/Zn8b is equal to ASTM B633?

A. Hi Sugumaran. I am not able to find a "DIN 50691" spec. and suspect a typo, and that that you actually meant DIN 50961, superceded by DIN 50962 . That spec and ASTM B633 are different specs, so they are not "equal" -- but I believe it will be possible for your plating to comply with both of them. Good luck.

Regards,

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

What is Ep-Fe/Zn8/C? Same as ISO 2081?

Q. I'm finding global specification callout comply with PFZn8-C. I'm not sure where this callout comes from. I guess it's the same with Fe/Zn8/CM2. Am I correct? Then can I use ISO callout ISO 2081 Fe/Zn8/C?

One more thing: Is there any expression which regulates trivalent passive chromate?
Sorry for many ugly questions ...

Q. Hi team, please help!
What does "Cr 3" mean in "Ep-Fe/Zn 5/CM2 Cr 3"?
Thanks so much!

What color is EP-Fe/Zn5 C3 plating?

Q. Hello,
I received a Salt Spray Corrosion Test Tracking. The treatment for the product is Ep-Fe/Zn5 C3 which I know coating thickness is over 5 µm. What coating requirement color should it be? It says "BLUE" but I thought it was green finish. Do they make a mistake or is that correct?
Thanks in advance!

UNI ISO 2081

Q. I just received some parts with this specification UNI ISO 2081, Fe/Zn 12c 2C. I have copy of specification but I don't understand the 2 in front of the C. I understand that the C is or iridescent coating but I'm wondering if the 2 has something to do with trivalent/hexavalent type. Also the 12 I am assuming is for 12 micrometers, but what is the little c for?
Thanks in advanced for all the responses.

Q. Hi, I work for a valve manufacturing company. One of our customers gave us a plating specification saying:
Surface protection "FeZn 8 Cr III Y SS:8451 S2"

Now, although I have been reading these threads and have found out that FeZn8 probably means Zinc plating with 8 microns thickness, I am not able to find Cr III anywhere. It probably means Chrome passivation but what does III mean.

Also, does SS 7451^⁸⁴⁵¹ S2 mean salt spray test for moderate conditions (S2)?

Please help.

Q. Can you please advise what Honda Spec MIC Black is?

Q. A question related to: electroplated coating Fe // Zn-Fe8 // Fn //T2

Fn means black - but what exactly does BLACK mean?

is the BLACK specified somehow?

Q. Have a print that calls for FE/ZN Cz plating Can you tell me what the Cz stands for?

Q. We have inquiry for zinc plating electrodeposited coating ISO 2081 -Fe/Zn8/T4-trivalent clear passivate and torque and tension top coat TnT 15 to meet NSS hours of 120 hours white/384 Red corrosion. What does T4 mean? Thank you.

Q. Dear Sir May I know the breakdown of plating Fe/Zn 8-CB? Sometimes we receive the color always different. Any matrix color for this plating type? Thanks.

Q. We are quoting a electroplate spec and want to better understand the "breakdown" of the spec. Ep-Fe/Zn5/CM2C

Fe : substrate to be plated
Zn : kind of plating
5 : thickness (8 ^⁵ CM1 : blue chromate
CM2 : yellow chromate
C: ? Does anyone know what the C means?

A. Hi Omar. When we receive postings from other countries, we often must start by fixing symbols which come across wrong because of keyboards differences, letters that don't exist in English, accent marks, etc. Your name and town came across as: .

On postings from some countries we must change " ı " to " I ", etc. Yet people quote abbreviations without saying what specification they are from, and ask what was meant. Spec writers don't swear an oath what their terms will mean. It's dangerous -- we have several threads where people misinterpreted what was intended by "Type 3" in regard to aluminum processing :-(

You say the "5" means "8 microns" -- it's possible, but says who? I think it 'ought' to mean 5 microns. Please tell us what specification you are referring to, then all can be revealed. Thanks!

Regards,

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

Q. Sorry!

Is correct.
Spec ISO 2081 Ep-Fe/Zn5/CM2C

Fe : substrate to be plated
Zn : kind of plating
5 : thickness (5 mic)
CM1 : blue chromate
CM2 : yellow chromate
C: ? Does anyone know what the C means?

Q. Looking for a breakdown of this finishing spec.:
STD3947, Fe/Zn-Fe8c4

Please see letter 26629 for another long list of similar sounding Q&A's about plating specs.