Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Zinc plated versus bright zinc plated

August 14, 2009

We are a company in Denmark selling fittings for the furniture industry.
Can you inform me whether there is a difference between a fitting having a zinc plated finish or having a bright zinc plated finish?
Is there any difference between these two denominations, when it comes to "rust protection"?
Best regards - Helle Læsøe Olsen

Helle Læsøe Olsen
sales of furniture fittings - Skovlunde, (Copenhagen), Denmark

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Hi, Helle. There are some things that you just can't put a sharp point on :-)

A few decades ago, when acid zinc plating was developed, it was heavily marketed as "bright acid zinc" because it was much brighter than traditional cyanide zinc plating. In fact, bicycle wheels, which had previously been nickel-chrome plated, were now "bright acid zinc plated" as a lower-cost substitute. So there is some limited basis for distinguishment.

I guess I'd say that a finish which claims to be "bright zinc plated" ought to be bright (sort of the color of a new dime), whereas a finish that is described as "zinc plated" may be bright, or it may be sort of the color of an old nickel. There should be no significant difference in corrosion resistance.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
August 14, 2009