Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Can hot dip galvanizing be misunderstood as electroplate galvanizing

Q. Hi, I am from South Africa installing seating in the new Soccer Stadia for 2010 Soccer world cup to be held here. If someone could assist I will appreciate the understanding. I know you get Galvanising or Electroplating as rust preventative measures. But I have a disagreement with a friend, my understanding is Hot Dip Galvanizing is a product then Electroplating is a separate product whether you say Hot dip or just Galvanising the same. But you can't refer to Electroplating as 'Electroplate Galvanize'. I look forward to some corrective advise.

Regards
Wouter

Wouter Stoltz
Sub Contractor - Benoni, Gauteng, South-Africa
February 26, 2009

A. Hi, Wouter. I strongly dislike the word "electrogalvanizing" because it simply means "zinc electroplating" -- a word that has been well understood for decades -- and I personally think the word was invented to ride the coattails of the more durable and expensive hot dip galvanizing, to try to imply a similarity that is not there, in a disingenuous way :-)

But the word is out there, and on millions of boxes of hardware, and there is no international arbiter who decides what "galvanizing" means. To me it means "hot dip galvanizing", but there is no way of knowing which way a judge would rule. The only safe path is to use the phrase "hot dip galvanizing" , and preferably to quote a standard. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 26, 2009

Hello, I have a related question. Is there an actual process called electroplate galvanizing? I have been using hot dipped, and zinc plating for many years but I have a request for "electroplate galvanized" material. I know electroplating usually is copper/brass/chrome or the like but I wanted to ask and see if there was something else out there. Thank you.

D'Arcy Sommer
- edmonton, Alberta, canada
March 29, 2012

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Hi D'Arcy. You can't stop people from making up words and phrases and, as previously noted, there is no world authority to call them out for it. I have never heard the phrase "electroplate galvanizing" but I'd certainly be pretty confident that the person using that phrase means zinc electroplating, also known as electrogalvanizing.

A good reason for referencing a specification is to eliminate the inevitable mistakes and misapplications that will arise when people try to buy or specify processes with vague wording like "electroplate galvanizing". Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
April 3, 2012