Jaume Grau

Civil Engineer
CEO & President of Global Operations
ProCoat Tecnologías, S.L

“New Challenges in Performance for Galvanized Steel”

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  Spanish Chemical Company, based
in Barcelona area, with more than 40
years of experience.

 First company, at least in Europe,

who designed chemical treatments
for metal surfaces based on acrylic
resins (Film Forming treatments).

It was a great innovation on 1972

versus traditional inorganic treatments!

Our own Technology is well know around the world under the registered
brandname of:

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 We have very modern facilities and we are
well equipped to develope our R&D Projects
with high success.

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 Traditional Supply Chain
GALVANIZING LINE
TRANSPORTED TO CGL
STEEL COIL  COIL IS CLEANED, 
PRODUCED GALVANIZED AND 
CHEMICALLY TREATED
STEEL MILL
TRANSPORTED 
TRASNPORTED TO CCL
TO SERVICE 
CENTER OR END 
TRANSPORTED TO  USER
SERVICE CENTER OR 
COIL IS CLEANED,  END USER
SLIT, BLANKED, 
TREATED, PRIMED  FORMED OR CUT TO 
AND PAINTED LENGHT
COIL COATING LINE
END USER
4/27
 Treatments used at the CGL: Passivations
 PASSIVATION  is the most common chemical treatment used on zinc 
coated steel. It is an inorganic chemical product, and till few years
ago, based on hexavalent Chromium.
 It is applied by spray (or by dipping) plus squeezing rolls. 
 At present, the new Cr6 free passivations are currently applied by
Roll‐Coaters.
 The main purpose of passivations is to avoid rusting during
transport and handling.
 Passivations reacts with the galvanized surface producing a strong
conversion.

Surface conversion:
0.10 µ
Zinc Layers

Steel
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 Treatments used at the CGL: Thin Organic Coatings (TOC)
 TOC products have been also named Antifingerprint or
Acrylic products.
 The use of TOCs on Zn-Al alloy steel is very common, but its
use on HDG, Galfan and EG is increasing year per year a cause
of the benefits that they offer.
 They have been designed to be applied at the CGL by Roll
Coater and one Oven to achieve a PMT temperature up to
60ºC.
 They contain resins (organic chemistry) and an inorganic
package to:
- A single layer produces a light conversion of the
surface plus a physical barrier.
Coating weight: 0.80 ̴ 2.00 µ

Zinc Layers Light Conversion Double contribution to corrosion

protection
Steel 6/27
 Differences in terms of performances
PROPERTIES PASSIVATIONS TOCs
Corrosion Resistance Temporary High
(SST: ASTM B-117) ≤ 72 h (SST) 200 h – 300 h (SST)
Anti fingerprint Quality Not Yes
Post-paintability Very Poor Excellent
(liquid and powder Good pretreatment is Pretreatment is not
paints) required required
Formability Very Low Excellent
µ ≥ 0.40 µ ≤ 0.15
Oil is required Oil is not required
Weldability Yes Yes
Adhesion to PU foams Not Excellent

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Which of both offers a higher contribution to sustainability?

 One real example: Domestic appliance

manufacturer (white goods)
The responsible of one washing machines factory
had to decide to use passivated HDG steel or HDG
coated with BRUGAL TOC.
So, he analyzed every process of their production
line with both chemicals, such as:
- forming and
- painting processes.

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Forming Process: Using Passivated HDG steel
 Forming Process:
The surface of a passivated HDG steel has not sufficient
lubricity to be formed, then oil is required.
During this process (stamping, profiling, bending,…) some
powder of zinc is pulled out from the surface.
The mixture of this zinc powder and oil produces an abrasive
residue which can damage the tools and the formed elements.
Consequences:
- forming tools have to be cleaned very often to avoid rejected
elements:
a) Maintenance and cleaning cost.
b) Cost of rejected elements

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Painting Process: Using Passivated HDG steel

 Because the formed elements are dirty with dust, with

a mixture of zinc particles and oil, it is very important to
make an efficient degreasing to leave the elements
completely clean before the painting stage.
 Passivated surfaces offer a very poor adhesion with
liquid and powder industrial paints, then, it is very
important to use a good pretreatment section at the
painting line to enhance its paintability.
 Once the elements are completely clean and a good
pretreatment has been made, they can go to the painting
section.

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 Painting Process: Using Passivated HDG steel

Alcaline
Degreasing Rinsing Rinsing Etching Rinsing Rinsing

Drying Rinsing Rinsing Pretreatment

Painting Line with

at least
10 stages previous
painting cabinet

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 Forming Process: Using HDG steel coated with TOC
 Because the TOC:
 Covers completely the galvanized surface, forming a physical
barrier (film), zinc particles cannot be pulled out from the surface.
 Contains a dry lubricant additive, which increases a lot the lubricity of
the galvanized surface, at least three times more compared with a
passivated surface, forming oil is not required.
Then, the problem caused by passivated steel is solved!

Benefits at the Forming Process using TOC instead

Passivations:
- Lower Maintenance Cost
- Savings on Rejected Elements
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 Painting Process: Using HDG steel coated with TOC

Alcaline
Degreasing Rinsing Rinsing Etching Rinsing Rinsing

Drying Rinsing Rinsing Pretreatment

Painting Line of
only
1 stage previous
painting cabinet

The painting line is reduced a lot!

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 Production Results
 Corrosion Results after 672 hours in SST (ASTM B‐117) HDG coated with BRUGAL®
TOC + Standard Polyester paint

Max 3 mm Max 5 mm

BRUGAL® TOC 300 G BRUGAL® TOC 010 G

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Innovation: Coloured BRUGAL® TOC

 Because ProCoat is searching every day new

Sustainable chemical solutions, we introduced the
Coloured TOC products into the market, which are
being used for many indoor and outdoor
applications.
 It´s a cheaper option than prepainted steel
 It offers a new aesthetic finish, coloured but
transparent , with a low coating weight (1.2 – 3.0 µ).
 It offers all advantages explained before, plus colour.
 It avoids the painting process at the end steel
good producer facilities.

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 Main uses of Coloured BRUGAL® TOC: Roofing

BRUGAL® TOC GREEN BRUGAL® TOC BRICK RED BRUGAL® TOC BLUE

Products designed to be applied at the Continuous Galvanizing Line, 
and of course, at the Coil Coating Lines

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 VERY RECENT INNOVATION AWARD RECEIVED FROM 
THE LARGEST STEEL MILL COMPANY AROUND THE WORLD
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 Main uses of Coloured BRUGAL® TOC

Industrial shelves Aerial trays Steel Framing

Network
Cabinets

Domestic Appliances Rain Water Goods Electronic Devices

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Main uses of Coloured BRUGAL® TOC: Roofing

Corrugated Sheets
(Roll formed or by
barrel)

Profiled
Sheets

Structural Profiles
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THE MOST SUSTAINABLE TREATMENTS FOR PREPAINTED STEEL

PRETREATMENT-PRIMERS:
BRUGAL® PRETREAT 600 (Cr+6)
BRUGAL ® PRETREAT 020 (Cr
Free)

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 GALVANIZING LINE
TRANSPORTED TO CGL
STEEL COIL  COIL IS CLEANED, 
PRODUCED GALVANIZED AND 
CHEMICALLY TREATED
STEEL MILL

TRASNPORTED TO CCL

TRASNSPORTED TO 
SERVICE CENTER OR 
COIL IS CLEANED,  END USER
SLIT, BLANKED, 
TREATED, PRIMED  FORMED OR CUT TO 
AND PAINTED LENGHT
COIL COATING LINE
END USER
21/27
 THE MOST SUSTAINABLE ANSWER FOR PREPAINTED STEEL
 PRESENT SCENARIO:
 Oil is the most common treatment used on coils which have to be painted at CCL, in
order to protect the coils against rusting, but many times this protection is not enough.
Once the oil is removed at the degreasing section of CCL, a good pretreatment must be
done to offer sufficient adhesion with coil coating paints.
 Passivations offer temporary corrosion protection but not enough to solve quality
problems of prepainted steel caused by white rust during the storage period between CGL
and CCL.
Moreover, passivations offer very poor adhesion with paints, then a effective
pretreatment is required at the CCL.

Then, Coil Coaters would need a pretreatment , which would be

applied at the CGL, to protects the coils more efficiently against
corrosion during the storage period, and offer a good adhesion with
coil coating paints.
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 THE MOST SUSTAINABLE ANSWER FOR PREPAINTED STEEL

 ProCoat developed the first Pretreatment‐Primer, BRUGAL® PRETREAT 600.

 It´s a water born treatment, based on hexavalent Chromium, designed to be applied at the CGL with a 
Roll Coater.
 It offers:
 at least 3 times more of corrosion protection (> 200 h in SST)  than current Cr6 passivations and
 an excellent adhesion with the most common coil coating paints.
 This product is Multimetal, it can be applied on HDG, Galfan, Electrogalvanized, Al‐Zn alloy, CRS, 
Aluminium,….
 Thanks to this product, several compact coil coating lines have been designed and some coil coaters
have enjoyed of significant savings in terms of investment.
 Today ProCoat has already developed a Cr Free Pretreatment‐Primer, BRUGAL® PRETREAT 020 which
has already demonstrated excellent performances with several Cr free Top Coats.

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G
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BRUGAL® PRETREAT 
V 600/020
A
CHEMICAL  
N COATER OVEN QUENCH
CLEANER RINSE RINSE WASTE TREATMENT
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C
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I
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O CHEMICAL 
OVEN
PRIME 
OVEN
PAINT 
OVEN QUENCH
COATER COATER COATER
A CLEANER RINSE RINSE WASTE TREATMENT

T
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I
N PRIMER can be applied or not
E
EXCELLENT CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABILITY
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TYPICAL COIL COATING LINE: AREAS OF POTENTIAL COST REDUCTIONS
CHEMICAL  PRIME  PAINT 
COATER OVEN COATER OVEN COATER OVEN QUENCH
CLEANER RINSE RINSE WASTE TREATMENT

Primer Section
Cleaning Section Primer
Energy Energy Waste Treatment
Water Maintenance  Chemicals
Chemicals Waste  Water
Maintenance  Maintenance
Hazardous Waste Chemical Coater Section
Energy
Chemicals
Maintenance
Hazardous Waste

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COST SAVINGS AT THE COIL COATING LINE
 On 2010 ProCoat made a study, with the
collaboration of the two largest coil coaters in
USA, to evaluate the savings at the coil
coating line when BRUGAL is applied at the
CGL line.

The conclusion was:

- Savings about 23.4% when Primer is
applied.

- Savings about 62.4% when PRIMER is

NOT applied.

SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS JUST PLACING

ONE CHEMICAL PRODUCT AT THE CGL!!
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I´ll be pleased to answer your
Questions.
Thanks a lot!
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