ZINCALUME® steel

v/s
Galvanised steel
What is Galvanized steel?
• Galvanized steel is zinc coated (99.8%)

• Has been around in its current form since 1936

• The Zinc coating is completely sacrificial,

• It gives itself up to the environment to protect the steel

• Z275 = a minimum of 275 gram per m2 of zinc - total of both sides

• Z275 ≈ 20 micrometre thick zinc coating on each side

mounting medium
Zn coating
alloy layer
steel
What is ZINCALUME® Steel?

• Only made by Tata BlueScope Steel

• ZINCALUME® steel is coated with a zinc/aluminium alloy ( 55% Al, Zn)
• Developed in the 60’s, BlueScope Steel started making it in 1972
• Combines the sacrificial benefits of zinc with the long life barrier protection of
aluminium ( up to 4 times life than galvanised steel with Z275)
• AZ150 = a minimum of 150 gram per m2 of zinc/aluminium alloy coating – both
sides
• AZ150 ≈ 25 micrometre thick of zinc/aluminium alloy coating on each side

20 µm

Zinc Rich Area

Aluminium Rich Area
Silicon Particles

Inter-Metallic Layer
Cross section

Microstructure
Salt Spray Testing
simulates severe marine exposure

Hours to first significant red rust

3500 Protected Edges
3000 Unprotected Edges

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

GI ZAL AL1 AL2

GI-Galvanised, ZAL- ZINCALUME, AL1- Aluminised steel
Aluminised steel 1, AL2- Aluminised steel 2.
* coating class normalised for 0.20 mm coating
thickness.
ZINCALUME® steel - Excellent Corrosion
resistance in Simulated Condition (Salt Spray Test)
Salt Spray Test (Lab Test) : ASTM B117

Galvanized Z275 ZINCALUME® AZ150 ZINCALUME® AZ150

after 240 hrs after 240 hrs after 2000 hrs
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Tested and Proven Product : Routine Tests carried
for every coil / lot for ZINCALUME® steel

Adhesion test T Bend Test – it measure the
flexibility and adhesion of paint with the
substrate.

T Bend Test

Impact Test : it measure the flexibility and

adhesion of paint with the substrate when
product under impact force i.e.10 J

7
Galvanised steel : Intergranular Corrosion &
Cracking

Galvanised steel

• Inter-granular corrosion occurs in Zn-Al-Pb galvanised steel coating when aged

at ambient temperature in humid environment.
• Inter-granular cracking results when such product is subsequently deformed.

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Real life tests : To check the performance in UV
& Corrosive environments
Real Life performance testing : Corrosion & Paint Performance

Monitor real life Wide range of long term

performance on exposure sites around the world
buildings (> 30 years)
Testing of ~ 18,000 samples
per year

Exposure site near coast 9

Sacrificial Protection : Zincalume is better than
galvanised steel in lower thickness

0.25mm

0.75mm
0. 5mm

1mm

2mm
Galvanised steel I
9 months
Industrial
Marine
(Port Kembla)
Zincalume

Aluminised steel GI-ZAL-AL1

AL1
ZINCALUME® steel V/s Galvanised steel :
Severe Marine environment – 21 years Exposure

ZINCALUME® steel AZ150

Galvanised steel Z275

Site: Bellambi Point (sea shore), Australia

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Painted ZINCALUME® steel V/s Painted Galvanised
steel : Severe Marine environment
Location
Bellambi Point , Australia : 50 m from Sea,
100 m from sewage water treatment plant (high
Sulphur fumes)

Corrosion resistance is from type of Metallic coating and its mass. Paint is providing an
aesthetic to your building with some additional life 12
ZINCALUME® steel V/s Galvanised steel
Comparative Coating Life

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Performance of Zincalume against Galvanized Steel at
various sits

Coating loss
Site Galvanized Steel – Z 275 ZINCALUME® steel – AZ 150
g/m2/Y µm/Y g/m2/Y µm/Y

Severe Marine 140 9.8 16 2.2

Marine 18 1.3 4.0 0.54
Industrial / Marine 20 1.4 4.2 0.57
Rural 4 0.28 1.3 0.17

ZINCALUME® steel last up to 4 times longer than galvanized steel

in similar atmospheric condition
In summary ZINCALUME  steel (AZ150) has
advantage over galvanised steel (Z275)

• Long life : Corrosion performance combines the benefits of Aluminium

and sacrificial Zinc
• Higher Yield : More length per tonne
• Excellent Paintability
• Excellent Heat Resistance & Heat Reflectivity
• Attractive matte finish
• Excellent Performance in 'unwashed' areas
• Excellent formability

Note: AZ070 when compared to Z120 with similar coating

thickness, performs much better
Thank you