Cold Spray Zinc for Steel Structures
Standard type · ≥96% Zn
A single-component, high-solids heavy-duty anti-corrosion coating composed of a binding agent, zinc powder and solvents. It deposits a zinc layer with a metallic zinc content above 96% at ambient temperature, giving steel the same sacrificial protection as hot-dip galvanizing without the deformation, transport and plant outage.
Key features
- Metallic zinc content ≥96% in the dry film — full sacrificial (cathodic) protection
- Single component, ready to use, no mixing ratio to get wrong on site
- Cures at ambient temperature; no thermal deformation of the steel
- Excellent adhesion and recoatability; damaged areas are repairable in place
- Can be left as a single coat or overcoated with a full heavy-duty system
Why cold spray zinc replaces hot-dip galvanizing
| Cold spray zinc (ZD96-1) | Hot-dip galvanizing | |
|---|---|---|
| Zinc content | ≥96% metallic zinc in dry film | ≥98% (molten bath) |
| Application temperature | Ambient (5–40 °C) | 450 °C molten zinc |
| Thermal deformation | ✓ None | — Risk on thin / long members |
| Where applied | ✓ On site, on erected structures | — Must travel to a plant |
| Plant outage | ✓ None | — Dismantling and transport |
| Max component size | ✓ Unlimited | — Limited by bath size |
| Surface repair | ✓ Repairable in place by brush or aerosol | — Damaged coating bares the steel |
| Recoat / topcoat | ✓ Accepts full paint system | — Requires specialised adhesion primer |
| Design life | 25 years (manufacturer figure) | 25–50 years depending on class |
| Colour | ✓ Zinc grey, or overcoat any RAL | — Zinc grey only |
Technical data
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Color | Zinc grey |
| Gloss | Matt |
| Volume solids | 51% |
| Density | 2.7 ± 0.1 kg/L |
| Components | One |
| VOC | ≤475 g/L |
| Flash point | >47 °C |
| Thinner | ZX-01 |
| Pack size | 25 kg |
| Shelf life | Unlimited (unopened) |
Film build and coverage
| DFT (µm) | WFT (µm) | Coverage (kg/m²) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 78.4 | 0.211 |
| 60 | 117.6 | 0.316 |
| 80 | 156.8 | 0.422 |
Drying and recoat
| Substrate temp. | 5 °C | 15 °C | 25 °C | 35 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touch dry | 2 h | 1 h | 30 min | 10 min |
| Hard dry | 5 h | 4 h | 2 h | 1 h |
| Min. recoat (sealer) | 36 h | 24 h | 18 h | 12 h |
Max. recoat: Unlimited — before the next coat the surface must be clean, dry and free of zinc salts and contamination.
Surface preparation
New steel: remove grease with a suitable cleaner and wash off salts with fresh water. Remove weld spatter, grind welds and sharp edges. Abrasive blast to Sa 2.5 (ISO 8501-1), surface profile Rz 40–75 µm (ISO 8503-1). Prime within 4 hours of blasting.
Repair of galvanized surfaces: degrease thoroughly, high-pressure fresh-water wash to remove salts, power-tool abrade local rust, then apply this product.
Coating systems
C3 — Urban and industrial atmosphere
C4 — Industrial and coastal
C5-M — Marine atmosphere
Application
| Method | Airless spray | Conventional spray | Brush / roller |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 0.43–0.53 mm | 1.5–2.5 mm | — |
| Pressure | 150–200 kg/cm² | 3–4 kg/cm² | — |
| Thinning | 0–5% | 5–10% | 0–5% |
Airless or conventional spray is recommended. Brush and roller are suitable for stripe coating, small areas and repair only. Keep the product stirred during application — zinc powder settles.
Cold spray zinc range
Further reading
Technical note · comparison
Cold galvanizing vs hot-dip: the comparison most articles get wrong
Most comparisons describe electroplating and stop there. Zinc mass per square metre is the number that actually decides the substitution — and at typical thickness it comes out at about a third of hot-dip.
Read the note →Not sure which grade fits your environment?
Send us the structure, the steel condition and the corrosivity category (C2 to CX). We reply with a coating system, film builds and a delivered price.