What Is the Metallizing Process?

"What is metallizing?"" That’s a question our customers often ask us here at Surtech Industries.
Metallization is a general term that refers to the application of a metal coating to another metallic
or non-metallic surface. Depending on the desired result, the coating can consist of metals such as
zinc, gold, aluminum or silver.

The metallization process can protect the workpiece from damaging external forces (corrosion,
wear, weathering, etc.), improve the appearance of the object (giving it a shiny look, for example),
or enhance the finished product’s functionality. Industries that use metallization in their
manufacturing processes include aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, defense, electrical and many
others.

What Are the Benefits of the Metallizing Process?

Examples of the numerous benefits provided by the metallization process include:

Enhanced corrosion protection — Rust is a common issue when working with most metals and
especially with steel. Metallization can create a protective coating that inhibits the development of
red and/or white rust, increasing the product’s lifespan by as much as 20 years or more.

Increased durability — Most metallized coatings are known for their ability to adhere to the
surface of the underlying workpiece or substrate. They are less likely to peel, blister, crack or flake
than other types of finishes, which increases the substrate’s durability.

Providing electrical conductivity — An issue when working with plastic materials is that they do
not conduct electricity. Metallizing a plastic surface will enable it to transfer an electric current,
which is a vital manufacturing step in the electronics industry.

Greater weather resistance — The steel on outdoor structures is vulnerable to the impact of snow,
rain, wind and sun over time. Metallization provides a protective coating that creates a barrier
between the underlying structure and the elements, which can lengthen the structure’s lifespan
and preserve its appearance.

Reduced maintenance costs — Painted surfaces will need repainting periodically to preserve the
finish. A metallized surface will not require repainting or upkeep, resulting in lower maintenance
costs. Like paint, metallized coatings are available in a wide assortment of attractive colors to
meet aesthetic requirements.

What Are the Various Metallization Processes?

In general, the metallization process entails preparing the surface via abrasive blasting to remove
imperfections and defects, followed by the application of heat to produce molten particles that
are sprayed onto the surface. Contact with the surface causes the particles to flatten out and
freeze, which creates adhesion to the surface and between the individual particles.
Variations of the metallization process include:

Vacuum metallizing — This form of metallization involves boiling the coating metal in a specially
designed vacuum chamber and then allowing the condensation to form a deposit on the
substrate’s surface. The coating metal can be vaporized via techniques such as plasma or
resistance heating.

Hot-dip galvanizing — HDG entails the immersion of a steel substrate into a vat of molten zinc. The
zinc reacts with the iron in the steel to form an alloy coating the provides excellent corrosion
protection. Upon removal of the substrate from the zinc bath, the substrate then undergoes a
draining or vibrating process to remove the excess zinc. Galvanization will continue after substrate
removal until it cools.

Zinc spraying — Zinc is a versatile, cost-effective material that acts as a sacrificial barrier, which
can prevent corrosion from reaching the surface of the substrate. Zinc spray produces a slightly
porous coating that is less dense than hot-dip galvanizing. Zinc spray can be applied to any type of
steel, although it may not consistently reach recessed areas or crevices.

Thermal spraying — This process involves the spraying of heated or melted metals onto the
substrate surface. The metal is fed in either powder or wire form, heated to a molten or semi-
molten state and sprayed as micro-sized particles. Thermal spraying enables the application of
thick coatings and a high metal deposition rate.

Cold spraying — The cold spraying technique is typically used for applications that require long-
lasting corrosion protection. The process entails the spraying of a composite consisting of a metal
powder, water-based binder and a hardening agent. The mixture is sprayed onto the substrate at
room temperature. The workpiece is allowed to “rest” for about an hour and then dried at a
temperature between approximately 70° F and 150° F for 6-12 hours.

Metallizing is a very common coating process which is used to improve the resistance of material
against corrosion, wear and fatigue. The metallization process is applied in many industries, such
as:

Defense

Oil and Gas

Solar Product Manufacturing

Aerospace

Automotive

Electrical

Thermal spray processes are often referred to as metallizing. Metals like zinc, aluminum, silver,
etc. are used to deposit in form of thin metallic film on the base material such as plastic, glass or
metal to prevent corrosion of base material.
Metallizing consists of three steps:

1. The base material is prepared by abrasive blasting, metal spraying, etc. to ensure adhesion of
the sprayed metal.

2. A heat source is used to create molten particles of coating material, then an atomizer sprays this
molten material onto the substrate.

3. Upon contact, the particles flatten onto the surface, freeze and mechanically bond, firstly onto
the roughened substrate and then onto each other as the coating thickness is increased.

The metal used for deposition may be either in the form of wire or powder. When coating material
is used in powder form it is known as powder metallizing. When it is in wire form the process is
called wire metallizing. Coating thickness may vary from .004" to thicker coats in the range of
.012" - .014"