Galvanized Steel vs Stainless Steel: Which is the Superior Choice?

As the name implies, galvanized sheets are steel sheets coated with a layer of zinc, which to some extent provides corrosion resistance. This manufacturing method also helps reduce global zinc consumption.

Introduction to Galvanized Sheet Material and Applications:

1. Non-alloy Hot-dip Galvanized Steel Strip

• DC5XD series: Suitable for general purposes and can also be used for deep drawing and biting. The more zinc on the surface, the better its corrosion resistance; the less zinc, the better its workability.
• SXXXGD series: Ideal for structural uses due to its excellent workability and corrosion resistance.
• HXXXPD+Z series: Comprising low alloy steel, phosphorus steel, and hardened steel, it provides superior workability and corrosion resistance.

2. Alloy Hot-dip Galvanized Steel Strip

• DCXXD+ZF series: Can be used for structural, stamping, and cold forming purposes. These materials offer superior welding and coating properties, although they can easily delaminate during processing.

Types of Galvanized Sheets:

1. Alloy Hot-dip Galvanized Steel Sheet: This type of steel sheet is produced by the hot-dip process, exhibiting good welding and adhesion properties.
2. Hot Gold Plated Galvanized Steel Sheet: A thin steel sheet with a thin layer of zinc attached to its surface, produced through continuous galvanizing.
3. Electro-galvanized Steel Sheet: Galvanized by electrification, this method results in thinner zinc layers and less corrosion resistance.
4. Single-sided Galvanized Steel Sheet: Zinc is coated only on one side of the sheet, offering better adaptability for processing, painting, or welding compared to a double-sided zinc-coated sheet.
5. Differential Double-sided Galvanized Steel Sheet: Single-sided galvanized steel sheets have some drawbacks. To overcome these, a thin layer of zinc is applied to the other side of the sheet.
6. Composite Galvanized Steel Sheet: The core material includes not only pure steel but also a composite steel sheet made of lead, aluminum, and other metals, on which a layer of zinc is coated. This type of sheet has superior rust resistance and painting performance.

Galvanized Sheets vs Stainless Steel:

Galvanized sheets involve brushing a layer of zinc on an iron plate for corrosion resistance, including cold and hot galvanizing methods.

Over time, the surface zinc will fall off, exposing the iron to corrosion. Stainless steel, on the other hand, doesn’t require corrosion protection.

Naturally, it’s more expensive, with prices for stainless steel ranging from 200-300. Only some special materials require 200-300 degree low-temperature tempering.

However, under high temperatures (200 degrees, 300 degrees), the zinc layer on the galvanized sheet will gradually bake off.

There are many types of stainless steel, while galvanized sheets involve simply electroplating a layer of zinc on the surface of a steel or iron plate. Galvanized sheets are ordinary plates that have been surface treated, while stainless steel sheets are corrosion and acid-resistant alloy plates.

Depending on your purpose, 200-300 degrees isn’t considered high temperature, and a relatively cheap stainless steel 430 plate should be about twice the price of a galvanized sheet of the same specification.

Stainless steel achieves its corrosion resistance by adding trace elements to change the steel composition.

Galvanized sheets, on the other hand, galvanize the surface of ordinary steel sheets, achieving corrosion resistance by sacrificing zinc. 200 and 300 degrees pose no problem for metals; it depends on the ambient atmosphere. There may be some extremely minor effects, but significant changes would take a long time to occur.