Zinc is a lustrous metal, which is blue white in colour. It’s hard, crystalline and brittle.
Zinc offers excellent corrosion resistance in acid conditions, which cadmium plating cannot withstand. This makes it suitable for industrial and urban environments and the majority of hardware components are zinc plated.
When zinc plating is applied it is almost always deposited in full, bright condition which provides and attractive finish yet still provides excellent corrosion proofing – including rust-proofing on iron or steel.
Zinc prevents oxidisation of the base metal by forming a barrier, and acts as a self sacrificing anode if ever this barrier is damaged.
Zinc can act as a base for further treatments and can be passivated in order to extend the zinc resistance.