What are the benefits of a zinc flake system?
For more than 30 years, zinc flake coatings have been used in the automotive industry, among others, but the strengths of this coating are also increasingly being used for construction machines and in the field of renewable energy.
An overview of the main advantages of zinc flake coatings:
Cathodic protection: The zinc flake coating functions as a metallic layer consisting of many small flakes. In most cases they consist of a combination of zinc and aluminium flakes bound together through an inorganic matrix. Since the sacrificial effect of zinc actively protects the component from environmental and chemical influences, the zinc flake coating offers a high level of cathodic protection.
Low layer thickness: The total layer thickness of the coating is on average only 8-20 µm and is therefore thinner than a human hair. Compared to other corrosion protection systems such as powder coatings or hot-dip galvanizing, the zinc flake coating is almost invisible, but nevertheless achieves a protective effect of over 1,000 hours against base metal corrosion in the neutral salt spray test in accordance with ISO 9227.
High accuracy of fit: Reliable corrosion protection with a very thin texture: Zinc flake systems are ideal for components whose standards place high demands on fitting accuracy, for example, screws with metric threads.
No stress corrosion cracking: With zinc flake coating, no hydrogen is provided during the application process, which prevents application-related, hydrogen-induced stress corrosion cracking. Zinc flake systems are therefore the best choice for high-strength steels (Classes 10.9 and higher).
Attractive appearance: It is possible to adapt the visual appearance of the zinc flake coating to customer requirements through the selection of the topcoat. By overpainting with a paint that does not damage the corrosion protection of the zinc flakes, different colour variations are also possible, for example, for marking different components.
