Zinc, a natural, healthy, and abundant element, is widely used in construction. Zinc metal has several characteristics that make it a well-suited corrosion-protective coating for iron and steel products. Zinc’s excellent corrosion resistance in most environments accounts for its successful use as a protective coating on a variety of products and in many exposure conditions.

This proven corrosion resistance is a result of zinc’s ability to form dense, adherent corrosion by products, which leads to a rate of corrosion considerably lower than ferrous materials – 10 to 100 times slower, depending on the environment. While a fresh zinc surface is quite reactive when exposed to the atmosphere, zinc corrosion products develop rapidly on the surface as the coating is exposed to natural wet and dry cycles in the atmosphere.