What is galvanisation ? How does it protect iron from rusting?
What is galvanisation ? How does it protect iron from rusting?
Galvanization is a method of protecting iron from rusting by coating it with a thin layer of Zinc.
The common method is Hot-dip galvanizing. In this method, iron or steel is immersed in a bath of molten zinc to produce a corrosion-resistant- multi-layered coating of zinc-iron alloy and zinc metal.
Galvanisation stops oxygen and water to reach the iron surface. water and oxygen cause iron to rust. Zinc is used as sacrificing material here.
Zinc is more reactive than iron, so it oxidizes in preference to the iron object.
Please note that the zinc layer is produced by electrolytic deposition and the iron object is made the negative cathode in a bath of a zinc salt solution.
The zinc ions are reduced to zinc atoms to coat the cathode object when current flows by this reaction- Zn2+ + 2e− → Zn
This zinc is coated at the cathode and then it acts as a physical barrier between the iron and oxygen/water ( rusting elements).
Galvanization is a method of protecting iron from rusting by coating it with a thin layer of Zinc.
The common method is Hot-dip galvanizing. In this method, iron or steel is immersed in a bath of molten zinc to produce a corrosion-resistant- multi-layered coating of zinc-iron alloy and zinc metal.
Galvanisation stops oxygen and water to reach the iron surface. water and oxygen cause iron to rust. Zinc is used as sacrificing material here.
Zinc is more reactive than iron, so it oxidizes in preference to the iron object.
Please note that the zinc layer is produced by electrolytic deposition and the iron object is made the negative cathode in a bath of a zinc salt solution.
The zinc ions are reduced to zinc atoms to coat the cathode object when current flows by this reaction- Zn2+ + 2e− → Zn
This zinc is coated at the cathode and then it acts as a physical barrier between the iron and oxygen/water ( rusting elements).
