Sustainable corrosion protection with zinc flakes

Author

Peter Wissling
Head of Corrosion Protection - Heavy Duty
ECKART GmbH

Published

10/01/2026

”

„Stabilized zinc flakes enable sustainable water-borne primers that combine galvanic corrosion protection with reduced hydrogen formation and improved coating performance.”

Peter Wissling
Head of Corrosion Protection - Heavy Duty

Water-Borne Protective Primers with Stabilized Zinc Flakes

Sustainable corrosion protection is becoming increasingly important across industrial coating markets. ECKART's innovative additive-stabilized zinc flake technology enables the formulation of high-performance water-borne protective primers that combine reliable galvanic corrosion protection with improved sustainability.

The specially developed stabilization technology suppresses hydrogen formation for up to eight hours during application while maintaining the zinc flakes’ active corrosion-protection mechanism. This helps prevent coating defects such as pinholes and improves long-term coating performance.

Compared with traditional zinc-rich primers, zinc flakes require significantly lower zinc loadings, reducing the product carbon footprint (PCF), lowering metal consumption, and supporting more sustainable anti-corrosion coating systems.

The technology is ideally suited for pipes, storage tanks, machinery, steel structures, shop primers, and other industrial applications within corrosivity categories C3 and C4.

Detailed information on ProFlake Hydro ZN 3090, including formulation guidelines,
was published in the trade journal European Coatings Journal, June 1, 2026, p. 16 ff.

If you have any questions or would like to request samples, please feel free to contact peter.wissling@altana.com

Key properties:

Gassing-stable in aqueous coatings
Hydrolysis-resistant
Chemical-resistant
Weather and climate-resistant
Extremely shear-resistant with strong interlayer adhesion

This ensures that surfaces remain permanently brilliant even in demanding applications – ideal for high-touch products and premium designs.

Range of metallic effects:

bright silver-white
classic chrome
particularly dark chrome finishes

HYDROSHINE covers a particularly wide range of optical effects and offers a multitude of design variations.

Important additional information can be found here in the relevant technical brochures:

informationen

Why HYDROSHINE is becoming increasingly relevant in the current technological transformation

Companies are increasingly looking for coating solutions that:

compete visually with electroplated surfaces
are more sustainable and process-friendly
work reliably in both water-based and solvent-based systems
offer extreme durability in everyday use

HYDROSHINE addresses all these requirements – and offers a clear advantage in the implementation of modern, environmentally conscious product strategies.

Overview of typical areas of application

HYDROSHINE demonstrates its strengths in numerous industries:

Automotive: chrome-like metallic designs for interiors and exteriors
Consumer electronics and household appliances: premium surfaces for device housings
Decorative products: sophisticated metal looks with depth
Plastics finishing: chrome replacement for durable, modern components

HYDROSHINE offers a high-performance solution for brilliant metallic and chrome finishes – especially in water-based systems. Exceptional durability is also achieved in solvent-based coatings. With high durability, exceptional gloss, and flexible variants, the product line creates ideal conditions for sustainable, modern surface concepts.

Contact

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