2 Durability
Magnificent Magnelis® Ever since its market introduction, Magnelis® has impressed end-users with its durability. This zinc coating, containing aluminium and magnesium, is being used for an ever-increasing range of applications. Following the successful industrialisation on the ArcelorMittal galvanising lines, OCAS is continuing to provide technical assistance. And as customers start using Magnelis® for more and more applications, OCAS is able to broaden its experience with the coating’s performance under a wide variety of environmental conditions. Soil corrosion resistance In 2014-2015, OCAS received a number of requests concerning the performance of buried Magnelis® applications. Good results are achieved when testing these applications’ resistance to soil corrosion. The corrosion
rate for Magnelis® in contact with different types of soil proves that Magnelis® is a cost-effective and green alternative to batch galvanising. However, attention should be given to soils showing extremely high concentrations of aggressive agents. We’ve also noticed growing interest in using Magnelis® in desert regions of the Middle East and Africa. The coating again shows good resistance to corrosion − even under the abrasive conditions of sand storms. Welding matters To respond to some customers’ con-
cerns about joining and welding Magnelis®, the OCAS team prepared welded samples using different filler and brazing wires. These samples were submitted to cyclic accelerated corrosion testing together with reference samples. The results confirm the excellent performance of Magnelis®. However, just as in any application, care should be taken with the selection of the filler wire to avoid galvanic corrosion. If the weld seam is very wide, re-protecting can become necessary. Finally, comparing complex parts produced from Magnelis ® with batch galvanised parts clearly demonstrates the superior behaviour of Magnelis®, even though the coating is much thinner.
63