Zinc oxide powder is commonly used in sunscreen and various cosmetic products. However, we also find many zinc oxide powder uses in different categories. One of them is industrial manufacturing to deals with corrosion.
How Does It Work?
The idea is to create a layer that prevents corrosive elements from damaging the metal. This protective layer will be formed on the metal surface to keep it from oxygen and moisture.
In general, we use three methods utilizing zinc oxide powder layering properties for corrosive protection purposes, which are:
- Barrier Effect
The zinc oxide powder will create a physical barrier on the metal surface. This barrier blocks the exposure of corrosive agents on metal surfaces.
- Sacrificial Anode Behavior
It is one of the unique methods of using zinc oxide powder. It uses its electrochemical property for this purpose.
Zinc, the origin of zinc oxide powder, has more active electrochemical properties than most metals. That means zinc is much easier to corrode than most metals.
Therefore, the corrosive element affects the zinc oxide powder protective layer without corroding the metal. Instead, the zinc oxide powder layer will be affected.
- Self-healing Properties
One of the abilities of zinc oxide for corrosion protection or prevention is its self-healing properties. This ability allows the zinc oxide powder protective layer to recover after being exposed to corrosive elements.
When it is exposed to corrosive elements, such as moisture, it creates a substance called zinc hydroxide. This substance reacts to carbon dioxide in the air.
Then, it creates an extra zinc carbonate layer. Thus, this new layer will fix the minor scratches on the zinc oxide powder coating.
The healing process might be only a minor one. However, it prolongs the lifespan of the protective layer on the metal surface.
The Applications
Its ability to create a protective layer makes zinc oxide powder a perfect material for metal coating products. Therefore, we can find many paint products for metal use this material.
Furthermore, the protective layer can survive harsh conditions. For that reason, we found a lot of coating usage in metal items, such as marine applications.
Conclusion
In short, the zinc oxide powder uses to protect against corrosion is one of the unique parts of this material. Moreover, we can say that this material is one of the best in this category. So, it is not surprising to see zinc oxide powder in various products today.