For those trying to choose an appropriate silo, it may be useful to understand the differences between a galvanized steel silo and a carbon steel silo with food paint.

Galvanized silo.

Galvanization is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel in order to prevent rusting. That means that thicker coating gives the steel longer useful life.

In the market, you will find silo manufacturer using different Zinc coatings: Z-275, Z-375, Z-450, Z-600. The number represents the grams of zinc per square meter that the steel has in both sides (inner and outer faces).

Silos Cordoba supplies Z-600 in all its silos. This coating contains 600 gr/m2 of Zinc and is equivalent to a thickness of 42 micras per side which makes it longer-lasting even in the most aggressive of atmospheres (as established in Standard ISO 9223).

Painted carbon steel silo. 

There are several solutions in the market, but basically we can see:

1. Plastic paint.
2. Epoxy paint.

Although the second one has a high zinc content, both solutions are not as strong as galvanized steel.

Due to the high investment involved in a storage silo project, the high cost of painting the entire surface (labor, raw materials, longer installation time), the difficulty of applying a multilayer paint, lower final quality and lower service life of painted steel, we do not recommend this solution.

Painting should only be used as a maintenance system in case any rust appear.

Need more tips or advice? Please visit our FAQ’s section

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