The effect of zinc bath temperature on the morphology, texture and corrosion behaviour of industrially produced hot-dip galvanized coatings

The purpose of this work is to identify the influence of zinc bath temperature on the morphology, texture and corrosion behavior of hot-dip galvanized coatings. Hot-dip galvanized samples were prepared at temperature in the range of 450-480 °C in steps of 10 °C, which is the conventional galvanizing temperature range in the galvanizing industries. The morphology of coatings was examined with optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composition of the coating layers was determined using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The texture of the coatings was evaluated using X-ray diffraction. Corrosion behavior was performed using salt spray cabinet test and Tafel extrapolation test. From the experimental results, it was found that increasing the zinc bath temperature affects the morphology of the galvanized coatings provoking the appearance of cracks in the coating structure. These cracks prevent formation of a compact structure. In addition, it was concluded that (00.2) basal plane texture component was weakened by increasing the zinc bath temperature and, conversely, appearance of (10.1) prism component, (20.1) high angle pyramidal component and low angle component prevailed. Besides, coatings with strong (00.2) texture component and weaker (20.1) components have better corrosion resistance than the coatings with weak (00.2) and strong (20.1) texture components. Furthermore, corrosion resistance of the galvanized coatings was decreased by increasing the zinc bath temperature