Comparative Study on the Corrosion Resistance of Inorganic Zinc-Rich Coating and Thermal-Spray Zinc Coating

The corrosion resistance of two steel coatings (inorganic zinc-rich coating and thermal-spray zinc coating) was studied in detail by using the electrochemical and salt spray test, and the salt spray corrosion thickness was calculated by the time-varying equation established from the mathematical fitting method. The result show that the corrosion mechanism of the two types of coatings was the same that based on the sacrificed of zinc through anodizing phenomenon. The main reason for the difference of corrosion resistance between the two anticorrosive coatings was that the coating density and shielding effect of corrosion products were different. The 7500-hours salt spray test showed that the corrosion rates and microstructure characteristics of both types of zinc coatings were homogeneous on the premise of ensuring coating reliability. The time-varying equation can be used to evaluate the service life of the zinc coatings and judge their corrosion resistance quickly, that providing theoretical support for the maintenance of steel structures as well as the accelerated selection and design of coating formulations.