Metal Finishes and Coatings

Metal is all around us in the world, and has many different uses to build our businesses, homes, and cities, protect our valuables, and even stand as an enduring symbol of freedom like the Statue of Liberty. What differentiates the metals we use in daily life are the finishes applied. There are dozens of different steel finishes and metal coatings, and what you ultimately choose has a lot to do with what your purpose is, and what kind of finished product you want.

 

Steel Finishes

One of the most common steel finishes you will find is painted steel. Steel is popular because of its ability to hold a variety of colors, so you can customize it any way you want. In addition, you can get steel finishes like red oxide, a traditional anticorrosive material that protects the metal from the elements. Its weather resistance properties, with zinc hydroxyl phosphite to inhibit rust, make it a popular choice for outdoor applications.

 

You may also consider steel finishes such as powder coating or ultraviolent (UV) coating. These methods make the steel increasingly durable and resistant to corrosion, abrasion, cracking, breaking, and the harmful effects of UV rays.

 

Metal Finishing Techniques

Wasatch Steel sales a variety of metal finishing and coatings that can provide protection, decorative looks, and resistance to everyday wear and tear. Some of the most common metal finishes include:

• Plating – applying inorganic coatings using a wide variety of methods to increase hardness and corrosion resistance.

• Anodizing – converting metal surface into an insoluble oxide coating through and electrolytic process. These coatings can be used as a decorative look on their own, or as a base for painting or other processes. This method is most commonly used on aluminum.

• Chemical Conversion Coating – a solution that reacts with the metal surface to form a layer of base metal for protection.

• Mechanical Finishing – such as blast finishing and mass finishing, which provide matte or satin looks, a “frosted” look, and covers other imperfections. These are followed up with polishing to remove scratches or other marks.

• Etching – if you have a specific design in mind, you can use chemical reagents or etchants to create the perfect look.

 

The Patina Finish

A patina finish forms naturally on the surface of many metals, most commonly copper and bronze, as a protective method to preventing corrosion and weathering in the metal. It’s created when oxides, carbonates, sulfides, and sulfates form on the surface of the metal after it’s exposed to weather and other outdoor elements such as oxygen, rain, and carbon dioxide.

 

The most famous of all patina finishes is on the Statue of Liberty. Lady Liberty is made entirely of copper, and after more than 100 years of standing in New York Harbor, she has developed a considerable natural patina finish. Under normal conditions, especially those in damp coastal and marine environments, patinas can take years to fully develop through a slow chemical reaction among copper, carbon dioxide, and water.

 

Some artists can also add a patina finish to give new objects an antique look and as a way to make objects appear “distressed”. When artificially created, patinas can take on a range of colors from blue and green to yellow, black, white, red, or a mixture of several colors.

 

Whether you are looking for the perfect finish for your next work of art in your home, or trying to protect Lady Liberty in the New York Harbor, a metal finish can be a critical component to keep your items protected from the elements.