How To Oxidize Galvanized Sheet Metal

White rust can cause substantial damage to the galvanized coating and is detrimental to its appearance.

How to oxidize galvanized sheet metal. Prepare your work area. Galvanized metal consists of steel or iron that is coated with a thin layer of zinc which protects the underlying metal from rusting through oxidation. I believe it has to have iron in it in order to rust and if it s galvanized stainless steel or some other type of metal that doesn t corrode then this process won t work. In the galvanizing process a piece of steel is coated with liquid zinc.

To make a piece of galvanized metal look old and rusty and chippy and have a wonderful patina takes years of outdoor wear. Galvanized steel or metal is a common building material. Galvanized metal is widely used in the building outdoor structures. Rust frequently forms on metals that are exposed to water or other forms of moisture.

The outstanding anti corrosion performance of steel is credited to zinc s durability. Galvanization is a process used to preserve steel rust free for many years. Galvanized metal is steel coated with a thin layer of zinc oxide. Direct sunlight helps speed up the rusting process.

If you have an item made from galvanized metal and you want it to oxidize you must first remove the zinc coating. Galvanized steel has been used for almost 2 000 years because of its unrivaled ability to last a very long time and resist rust. Hot dipped galvanized steel and electroplated galvanized steel are made using different methods and their zinc galvanized coatings corrode completely differently. Move the metal object you want to rust out to a yard or open garage on a hot day.

However zinc is a relatively reactive metal. The surface of the galvanized coatings mostly contains zinc. Through a variety of experiments i ve come to learn a pretty consistent process for removing this galvanization and making the metal rust. This is often done to give galvanized metal an aged or weathered look.

The chromium in the alloy oxidizes quickly to form a protective layer of chromium oxide on the metal surface which prevents oxygen from reaching the underlying steel. Galvanized metal is a form of steel that has been thinly coated in zinc oxide. But when this thin layer wears away the steel is subject to rust. The zinc oxide forms a barrier that protects the steel from corrosion.

This zinc oxide coating serves as a critical barrier that helps to protect the underlying steel from corrosion oxidation and other damage from the elements.