Sustainability issues: galvanizing vs. alternatives

A. Hi, Cara. Even small subsets of sustainability and environmental effectiveness, like cradle to grave energy requirement, usually prove intractable. There was worldwide furor, and then scorn for a formerly reputable research company that released a report that the cradle-to-grave energy requirement for a Hummer H-3 was less than a Prius. One of the things learned was that it is virtually impossible to capture even this subset of environmental costs.

When we stop subsidizing things so all sustainability and environmental costs are captured in the real world price (they're not yet, but we're continuously getting closer), then the best indicator of sustainability and environmental effectiveness will be cost effectiveness. Galvanizing is expensive compared to other technologies like phosphatizing. So, if the component is reliable enough and long lasting enough with a phosphate treatment instead of galvanizing, I think that is a more sustainable and environmentally effective approach. But if phosphatizing isn't "good enough", then galvanizing the component is more sustainable and environmentally effective than continually repainting or remanufacturing the item because it fails due to corrosion :-)

Regards,

A. Actually you're in luck.
There's bags of info on the sustainable aspects of galvanizing, and even books about it. Prof Woolley from Cardiff? Univ among others has studied this.
You can find much info at http://www.sustainable-galvanizing.com/

If you want the book, call the IK Galvanizers Association, they'll likely send it to you free.

A. Cara,

Hot Dip Galvanizing with a powder paint coating is the best steel protection that I know. It is truly a premium coating. On my ranch, I prefer hot dip galvanizing to virtually any other steel coating because it lasts a lifetime in this rural area. I do not know a better steel protection for your application.

Several years ago I saw two center pivot irrigation systems that were for sale and were exactly alike (same year, make and model). One was painted, the other hot dip galvanized. The asking price for the hot dip galvanized was double what the painted one was.

Regards,