Evolution of corrosion products and metal release from Galvalume coatings on steel during short and long-term atmospheric exposures

Non-treated Galvalume (55% Al, 43.4% Zn and 1.6% Si by weight) coatings have been studied through a combination of surface, near surface and bulk analysis after exposure at marine conditions, and for comparison also in an urban test site and in successively more complex short-term laboratory exposures. Slightly polished Galvalume surfaces exhibit dendritic aluminum-rich areas with higher Volta potential compared with interdendritic zinc-rich areas. These effects were not observed on bare as-received surfaces due to the overall presence of aluminum oxide. As a result, preferential corrosion occurred initially in interdendritic areas. The zinc release rate followed the same time-dependence as the surface coverage of zinc-containing phases at the marine exposure condition with zinc predominantly released compared to aluminum. Short term laboratory exposures generated the same main phases as formed at marine conditions. This confirms that the evolution of corrosion products and time dependence of zinc release rates can be explained by the uniform formation of less soluble Al2O3, AlOOH and Al(OH)3 compared to observed zinc-containing phases, e.g. ZnO, zinc hydroxycarbonate and zinc hydroxychloride. The same underlying mechanism is believed to operate also during exposure of Galvalume in the urban site studied.