This article provides an overview of some common sheet steel coatings available. It discusses the formability differences between coated and bare steel and provides some general guidelines on the forming of coated steels. Coated steels are classified according to the nature of the substrate, the type of coating, and the method used for its application. The article describes various coating types for steels such as zinc-coated steels, aluminum-coated steels, tin-coated steels, terne-coated steels, and organic-coated steels.

Cathodic protection is an electrochemical means of corrosion control in which the oxidation reaction in a galvanic cell is concentrated at the anode, which suppresses corrosion of the cathode in the same cell. This article provides a detailed discussion on the fundamentals and types of cathodic protection as well as their power sources and design considerations. The criteria for the cathodic protection and types of materials used in sacrificial anodes and impressed-current anodes are also discussed. The article provides examples selected for familiarizing the design engineer with the steps for selecting a specific corrosion control method.

This article focuses on the various coatings used on Department of Defense (DoD) systems. These include electroplated coatings; conversion coatings; supplemental oils, waxes, and lubricants; organic paint coatings; and other finishes such as vacuum deposits, mechanical plating, thermal spray coatings, and hot-dip coatings. The article also lists the test requirements and time to failure of the coatings.

This article discusses the generic situation of steel reacting with the environments found in structures. Two environments are specifically discussed: atmospheric and cementitious. The article describes the utility of different corrosion protection methods for atmospheric corrosion and cementitious systems. It presents examples of problems that have arisen in the corrosion performance of steel.

This guide rates the compatibility of dissimilar structural materials joined together for service in seawater, marine atmosphere, or industrial atmosphere. It contains a table that indicates the material code and most generally effective surface treatment typically used to reduce corrosion of bare metals.

Steel automotive exhaust systems suffer from various forms of corrosion. This article illustrates exhaust system components with typical upper metal skin temperatures and alloys of construction. It discusses high-temperature corrosion of automotive exhaust systems, including oxidation, hot salt attack, and thermal fatigue. The article describes the various forms of corrosion which occur at the cold end of an exhaust system. The forms of cold end exhaust corrosion, including condensate pitting corrosion, exterior salt pitting, crevice corrosion, intergranular corrosion, and galvanic corrosion.

This article describes the paint systems generally used to protect steel structures, steel sheet, and bridges from corrosion, and how they deter corrosion. It provides a discussion on the basic design criteria of steel structures for corrosion protection. The article also explains the differences between prepaint and postpaint, and the steps involved in prepaint processing of steel. It presents the selection guideline for paint system evaluation. The advantages of corrosion protection are also discussed.

Cathodic protection (CP) is an electrochemical means of corrosion control widely used in the marine environment. This article discusses two types of CP systems: impressed current systems and sacrificial anode (passive) systems. It describes the anode materials used in these systems and the CP criteria. The article examines the design considerations and procedures involved in the CP of marine pipelines, offshore structures, and ship hulls. An illustration of sacrificial anode calculation is also provided.

Thermal spray coatings (TSCs) are surface coatings engineered to provide wear-, erosion-, abrasion-, and corrosion-resistant coatings for original equipment manufacture and for the repair and upgrading of in-service equipment. This article presents an overview of five thermal spray processes and the specific flame and arc spray processes used to preserve large steel components and structures. It describes the TSC selection guide and an industrial process procedure guide for applying aluminum and zinc TSCs onto steel.

This article describes the coating materials, surface-preparation requirements, and application techniques used to protect underground pipelines. It provides a valuable insight into the types of polymer-based coatings that are both cost-effective and widely accepted in the pipeline industry.

This article discusses the processes involved in continuous hotdip coating of steel sheets, namely, hot and cold line processing, surface preparation, and post treatment. It outlines the properties and microstructures of metals and their alloys used in this process. The coatings considered in this article include metal coatings, such as zinc coatings, and alloy coatings, such as zinc-iron, types 1 and 2 aluminum, Zn-5AI, Zn-55AI, and lead-tin coatings.