Corrosion induced damage costs Germany over 3% of its GDP every year. A suitable corrosion protection system is therefore essential for the continued long-term operation of steel hydraulic structures. Zinc and its alloys have proven to be some of the most effective corrosion protection systems, however, the use of zinc-based systems on steel hydraulic structures has not yet been approved in Germany. Hot-dip galvanising hinders the penetration of corrosive media, e.g., Chlorine ions, into the steel matrix by forming a protection coating over the steel which also serves as a sacrificial anode; corroding before the steel does. Hot-dip galvanised coatings have several disadvantages that currently make them less effective for protecting steel hydraulic structures, where they can come into contact with O2, moisture, abrasive media (e.g., sand and gravel carried by rivers) as well as dynamic water flows.
Our current research work aims to optimise the parameters of the hot-dip galvanising process and define effective pre- and post-treatments in order to improve the performance of the protective coating for steel hydraulic structures by reducing the formation of cracks, stress concentrations, internal stresses and the effects of temperature gradients.
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Letzte Änderung: 7. July 2023