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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
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for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Does Gray Phosphate exist?
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[editor appended this entry to this thread which already addresses it in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread]
Q. Hi,
We need to apply zinc phosphate on auto detail - snake (like a spring) but on flat. and we need to receive matte colour.
What we should do?
Thank you in advance,
- Warsaw, Poland
March 4, 2024
A. Hi Vadim.
I am perhaps misunderstanding you, but matte gray-ish is pretty much the normal color & texture of zinc phosphate. Please try to describe what you are actually getting which is unsatisfactory, what material this 'snake' is made of, and a little bit about your zinc phosphating process. Are you processing in accord with any accepted standards? Usually the process supplier can help you if the finish is not as it is supposed to be.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
⇩ Related postings, oldest first ⇩
Q. We specify black phosphate finishing for one of our bolt models we use in some products in order to retard corrosion or rust. Our spec indicates that the material must be subject to a 32 hours salt spray test per ASTM B117. Salt solution to be 5% by weight.
Recently a new supplier is trying to use something they call "GRAY PHOSPHATE". I've never listed that kind of finishing. Does that really exist? If yes, can anyone tell me about it.
energy and automation - El Paso, Texas
2001
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A. David, Trevose, Pennsylvania, USA 2001 A. David: - Toccoa, Georgia 2001 A. David - chemical process supplier - Gurnee, Illinois 2001 |
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A. Phosphates come in different colours in the grey /black range.  Martin Trigg-Hogarth surface treatment shop - Stroud, Glos, England 2001 A. My company did zinc phosphating for many years. The finish was a matte medium-gray. It was typically used as a corrosion resistant base for further processing (paint) or as a rough surface to aid (hold) lubrication. Victor Waldman- Naugatuck, Connecticut 2001 |
Q. The 1970-'72 Buick midsize cars (Skylark) used a grey phosphate coating on a part of the hood latch mechanism. There used to be a place called Burge Restorations that did this for Buick people, but I haven't been able to find them in many years. I don't know the technical parts of the process, but the parts I sent up came back with a hard dark grey finish and it lasted (for me) at least 20 years. I sold that particular car and the coating looked new when I sold it. Several other parts were also grey phosphate on those cars. Professional restorers still have sources for this type of plating, but I don't know where they get it done.
Cheers!
Richard
- Boca Raton, Florida USA
December 16, 2010
Q. I recently had some old car parts grey phosphated and they had a crystalline surface. Is there another type of gray phosphate that has a matte finish?
Shaun Budka
- Watertown, Massachusetts USA
March 4, 2016
A. Your parts were most likely coated with zinc phosphate, and that always has a "grainy" surface. Sometimes the grains are too small to be seen with the unaided eye, or they can be a good deal larger.
You could discuss this with the shop that did them. They may be willing to redo them with a thinner or more fine grained coating.
However if you just asked for "gray phosphate" with nothing else said, you probably got what you paid for.
Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
April 16, 2016
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