The Difference Between Bolt Electroplating And Hot-dip Galvanizing

 The difference between electroplating and hot-dip galvanizing is only one word, but there is a significant difference. In this article, the editor will analyze the differences between bolt electroplating and hot-dip galvanizing.

Electroplating is an electrolysis process between the anode and cathode of an electronic solution. The cathode electrons in the solution free up to the anode electrons, which then adsorb onto the surface of the bolt, forming a white protective layer for electroplating. Among them, nickel plating, nickel tin plating, chromium plating, etc. all belong to this principle, and the only difference is the surface color and anti-corrosion performance.

The surface of the bolts we commonly use is black or natural, which is exposed to air and easily corrodes and rots over time, including other metal barriers. Due to corrosion, thousands of tons of waste are generated each year. In order to save materials and make these products more beautiful and durable, some surface treatment methods are used to cover the surface of the bolts with a protective film. The most common two methods are:, There are two types of bolts: electroplated zinc bolts and hot-dip galvanized bolts.

After galvanization of bolts, if encountering humid air, the zinc film on the surface of the bolt can isolate the air from the bolt substrate, preventing the bolt from being corroded. The galvanization is evenly distributed on the bolt surface and will not form any missing parts. The zinc layer on the entire bolt is finely crystallized and corrosion-resistant. Electrogalvanized bolts are very clean and beautiful, and can be used with confidence in some dust-free workshops without producing oil or other stains. The color of electroplated zinc can still be changed according to requirements. There are various zinc layers with different colors such as white zinc, blue white zinc, colored zinc, or military green, which can play a good decorative role in special environments. Electroplated galvanized bolts are widely used and cover almost all industries, playing a very important role in the entire basic industrial economy.

Hot dip galvanizing of bolts is also a protective coating process, and its anti-corrosion performance exceeds that of electroplated galvanized bolts. Its principle is also simpler than electroplated galvanizing, which is to immerse the bolts in a zinc pool (of course, there are other preparatory work, but what we are talking about is the principle of hot-dip galvanizing of bolts, not the process), and then cover the surface with a protective film with a thickness of about 70 microns, So the anti-corrosion performance of hot-dip galvanized bolts is better than that of galvanized bolts. The application scope of hot-dip galvanized bolts is not as extensive as that of electrogalvanizing, and it is mainly concentrated in industries such as wind power facilities, photovoltaic base stations, and national household appliance network architecture.

The characteristics of hot-dip galvanized bolts are also very different from those of electroplated bolts. Due to the thickness of hot-dip galvanizing reaching 70 microns, it has a significant impact on the thread. Generally, specifications above M8 are suitable for hot-dip galvanizing treatment, while electroplated bolts do not have this range. No matter how large the bolts are, surface treatment can be carried out. After hot-dip galvanizing of bolts, there is only one gray color and no other color scheme can be produced. So after hot-dip galvanizing, the appearance of the bolt changes greatly, and it does not look as beautiful as the hot-dip galvanized bolt. The surface smoothness of the bolt is also very poor, which is completely different from the hot-dip galvanized bolt. Therefore, after hot-dip galvanizing of the bolt, professional hot-dip galvanized nuts need to be matched during installation. And galvanized bolts do not have such concerns.

In terms of price, there is also a difference between the two. Currently, the price of electrogalvanizing is around 1500 yuan per ton, while the price of hot-dip galvanizing for bolts is around 3000 yuan per ton. Therefore, the price of bolts of the same specification after hot-dip galvanizing is higher than that after electrogalvanizing, which needs to be noted.

In terms of use, whether the bolt is black, natural color, or electroplated with zinc, it has no impact on the use of threads and can be directly rotated for installation. However, after hot-dip galvanizing of the bolt, the diameter of the thread will be changed. If used on the substrate, either the thread diameter of the bolt will be reduced or the threaded hole will be enlarged, otherwise it will be difficult to cooperate with installation.