Galvanization

Galvanization (also spelled galvanisation)[1] is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting.

The earliest known example of galvanized iron was discovered on 17th-century Indian armour in the Royal Armouries Museum collection in the United Kingdom.

[6] Hot-dip galvanizing deposits a thick, robust layer of zinc iron alloys on the surface of a steel item.

The hot-dip process generally does not reduce strength to a measurable degree, with the exception of high-strength steels where hydrogen embrittlement can become a problem.

[11] In the early 20th century, galvanized piping swiftly took the place of previously used cast iron and lead in cold-water plumbing.