ITRENDS - BACK TO BASICS

Inspecting Welds in Galvanized Steel

Inspectors need tounderstand how zinc

galvanization affects welds and the unique
magnetic particle testing indications that
can be produced during inspections

Fig. 1 — A part freshly hot-dipped in zinc.

BY
GORDON E. SMITH AND RICHARD M. BELDYK

The following is the final article in the “Back to Basics” series. Here, Gordon Smith and Richard
Beldyk tell you what you need to know about magnetic particle inspection of galvanized
materials. Smith is an AWS CWI and an ACCP NDT Level II and III – UT, and a Level III in MT,
PT, and RT. Beldyk is a Registered Engineer in ten states, an AWS Certified Welding Engineer,
an Association of Facilities Engineer, a Certified Plant Engineer, and a NASP Certified Accident
Investigation Technician.

Zinc galvanization, per square foot per year, is the most cost-effective means of corrosion
protection in the world today, yet the process of galvanizing steel has been a little understood
technology for more than a hundred years. Most persons, including welding inspectors, think of
galvanization as a covering layer that sometimes rusts and sometimes peels off. Both of these
conditions are thought to be the fault of the galvanizer. That is probably the most incorrect
thought about the metal protection industry today.

What is Galvanization?
Zinc galvanization is a process where the electromotive metal is applied by dipping a steel item
(Fig. 1) into molten zinc, which then forms a durable bond to the iron at the atomic level. The
formation of this zinc-iron bond leaves a coating that has penetrated the iron in the steel and has
iron trapped in it to varying degrees, with a protective top layer of almost pure zinc. The exterior
surface of a galvanized item is just one part of many layers (Fig. 2) of different zinc-iron alloys
that make up a galvanized, corrosion-resistant metal protection system.

Fig. 2 — The various zinc layers in a galvanized part.

The great tenacity of zinc galvanization makes it detrimental to

welding, often resulting in poor weld strength and producing
unique magnetic particle testing (MT) and visual indications that
the inspector needs to understand. Additionally, the welding
process can change the galvanization characteristics. These
changes range from destruction of the protective effect of galvanization to the increased buildup
of zinc until it can exceed 500% of that specified for corrosion protection of the item.
Galvanization of structural bolts has recently come under scrutiny with the reminder that fully
tensioned ASTM structural fasteners should always be qualified after galvanization.

Appearance of Galvanized Steel

When properly designed, applied, and installed, a zinc galvanized surface should protect the
underlying steel for many years. Initially, it will have a shiny appearance, which fades to a soft
gray color in ten or more years.

Fig. 3 — White rust spots on a newly installed dual galvanized panel.

Sometimes, however, it can have a different appearance, such as what

looks like white rust — Fig. 3. These white rust spots are a mixture of zinc
oxides, hydroxides, and carbonates formed from the available reactive
materials: oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, etc. This layer actually forms a
barrier to further deterioration of the protective zinc galvanization. It has a gem form
“Smithsonite” that was named after James Smithson (1754–-1829), a British chemist and
mineralogist, and founder of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. — Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 — Smithsonite geode.

Other times, new welded items may rust along every weld soon after installation — Fig. 5. This
 happens because most arc welding filler metals have a lot of silicon in them.
Silicon can transport and trap iron in it as the weld cools to room
temperature. However, we now know that steel is only semiquenched at
room temperature and for some alloys quenching to –300° or even –450°F
will not freeze the metal atoms trapped in these alloys. This is true of the
zinc-iron alloy that makes up galvanization. There is a lot of iron relatively
free to move about. Under one condition, annealing, the iron will return to the
substrate iron and leave relatively pure zinc, which quickly disbonds and separates from the iron
substrate. That is one reason to remove the zinc to a specified distance away from the weld
zone prior to welding. If the zinc is heated close to the 800°F range, it may remelt locally and,
upon cool-down, the iron may return to the steel underneath leaving a poorly bonded layer of
zinc.

Magnetic Particle Inspection of Galvanized Steel

Welds completed prior to hot dipping may require special welding materials with reduced silicon
levels. If these special welding materials are not used, then excessive zinc may be deposited
upon the weld surfaces. When a galvanized layer of 0.004-in. thickness is achieved on the item
surfaces, there often may be 0.012 or even 0.025 in. of zinc deposited upon the weld. This can
lead to magnetic particle indications that may be distantly related to other more serious problems
— Fig. 6.

Fig. 5 — A — Rusted new weld under zinc; B — close-up of weld joint corrosion.

Long, parallel magnetic particle indications may often appear on

“stock” welded or “weld-clad” areas that have been ground smooth.
These are thought to be due to concurrent field leakages between
individual weld bead grain orientations. They typically have a “fuzzy”
appearance on top of the galvanization. Different dissolution rates for different iron
concentrations in the weld beads cause them. With galvanization of less than 0.006 in. thick and
wide, thick welds, after grinding the galvanizing patterns may appear to look like dendrites or
have numerous small branches at 90-deg intervals to the direction of the weld beads.

Fig. 6 — MT indication across a bridge flange.

For other welds, especially where different thicknesses are joined with wide
welds, a fuzzy indication may appear oriented along the weld midline. This is
most prevalent with AC dry yoke MT techniques. It has sometimes been
found that the weld had later developed a longitudinal weld crack at this inspection location. On
occasion, when using dry AC MT, a magnetic particle indication would increase in strength of
appearance or definition and then fade away as the zinc was carefully removed. In this case,
excess silicon was thought to aid the dissolution of iron from the weld metal during galvanization,
resulting in a concentration of iron trapped in the upper surface of the galvanization.

These last conditions should be noted with care as sometimes they may be linked to liquid metal
embrittlement (LME) resulting in very large and sometimes sudden fractures. There is some
thought that these fractures may be due to a thermal or time-related change in grain structure,
i.e., austenite to ferrite, martensite, etc., wherein a volume change in the weld takes place and
increases stress levels dramatically to the point of fracture.

The inspector should always obtain a copy

of the galvanization bath chemical analysis and look
at the tin, bismuth, and lead levels.

The presence of low-melting-point elements such as tin and bismuth in the galvanizing melt have
a role in causing LME. However, the relative significance of melt composition in the galvanizing
bath on the potential for steel cracking is not fully understood.

Fig. 7 — Newly welded deck metal.

The inspector should always obtain a copy of the galvanization bath

chemical analysis and look at the tin, bismuth, and lead levels.
Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray dispersive spectrometry
analysis of the crack surfaces have indicated high concentrations of
these elements in the cracks. If the % tin (wt) + % lead (wt) is greater
than 1.3% (by weight) or the % bismuth (wt) is greater than 0.1% (by weight), a closer
examination for cracking is warranted, preferably with dry AC yoke MT. Wide, fuzzy MT
indications running down the length of welds, sometimes for many feet, are thought to be due to
the presence of dissolved iron suspended in the thicker galvanization buildup on welds — Fig. 6.

Other Causes of Rust

Nonwelded, newly galvanized items include all sorts of cold- and hot-formed products, HVAC
supports, steel decking, etc., where the distribution of iron may change in the first few months
due to temperature or time or electrical influences resulting in iron migrating to the surface of
these items. This migration generates a rusty orange appearance as the iron reacts with surface
zinc oxides, hydroxides, etc., producing an unsightly appearance with the ability to produce rust
stains on items below. This is known to happen to large areas of galvanized decking after
welding to steel joists. On occasion, it has been found to stop advancing in size after welding
operations were completed — Figs. 5, 7.

Fig. 8 — Schematic of iron distribution changes.

Storage practices are thought to influence the tendency

toward top surface corrosion of galvanized steel deck metal.
Referring back to the cross section of the zinc galvanized
layer (Fig. 2) and remembering that the surface is almost pure
zinc right after galvanization, we see that if two freshly galvanized surfaces are brought together,
the iron trapped in each galvanized layer has a tendency to move to the centerline of the two
layers when in contact or connected by an electrolyte such as rainwater — Fig. 8. Upon
separating the two pieces of deck metal, the iron at the centerline is exposed to a more corrosive
environment such as is found at most construction sites. This surface iron is quickly chemically
trapped by reacting with the zinc oxides, etc., on the surface of the galvanization, where it quickly
takes on rusty colors.

The inspector should be wary that magnetic coating thickness gauges may produce erroneous
and typically thinner readings than what is in the actual galvanized layer. A through-cutting
destructive coating gauge is a good backup if you have questions on the accuracy of the coating
measurement. The inspector should always calibrate any measuring equipment used on a
regular basis, and be knowledgeable of the variables surrounding these measurements. For
many of these conditions, rust-bonding chemically reactive paints are a good solution for this
problem. These paints can be expected to last 5–10 years. The galvanization industry has been
recently promoting paint after galvanization as a solution for this problem. In the authors’ opinion,
after more than ten years of observation, zinc-rich spray-on galvanization is a good solution for
regalvanizing weld repaired areas.

GORDON E. SMITH (gsmith@hcnutting.com) is Senior Consultant, H. C. Nutting Co.,

Columbus, Ohio.

RICHARD M. BELDYK, PhD (welding_engr_rich@charter.net), is an Engineer with Ohio Bridge

Corp., U.S. Bridge Division, Cambridge, Ohio.