A comparative investigation of hot dip Zna€“25Al alloy, Zna€“55Ala€“Si and Zn coatings on steel was performed with attention to their corrosion performance in seawater. The results of 2-year exposure testing of these at Zhoushan test site are reported here. In tidal and immersion environments, Zna€“25Al alloy coating is several times more durable than zinc coating of double thickness. At long exposure times, corrosion rate for the Zna€“25Al alloy coating remains indistinguishable from that for the Zna€“55Ala€“Si coating of similar thickness in tidal zone, and is two to three times lower than the latter in immersion zone. The decrease in tensile strength suggested that galvanized and Zna€“55Ala€“Si coated steel suffer intense pitting corrosion in immersion zone. The electrochemical tests showed that all these coatings provide cathodic protection to the substrate metal; the galvanic potentials are equal to a€“ 1,050, a€“ 1,025 and a€“ 880 mV (SCE) for zinc, Zna€“25Al alloy and Zna€“55Ala€“Si coating, respectively, which are adequate to keep the steel inside the immunity region. It is believed that the superior performance of the Zna€“25Al alloy coating is due to its optimal combination of the uniform corrosion resistance and pitting corrosion resistance. The inferior corrosion performance by comparison of the Zn coating mainly results from its larger dissolution rate, while the failure of the Zna€“55Ala€“Si coating is probably related to its higher susceptibility to pitting corrosion in seawater.
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