What is galvanized steel and how does it protect my windmill?
The material used in the construction of Jewell Windmills is ASTM A526 grade sheet steel. The Ultimate Tensile strength ranges from 42,000 – 54,000 psi. The blades and tail vane is constructed from 16 gage (0.059″ thick) steel, twice as thick as the 20 gage (0.0359″) used by the original windmills! The blades actually increase in bending strength by a factor of 4 when the thickness doubles! This is definitely advantageous in a hailstorm! The framework utilizes 11 gage (0.1196″) steel and most other components are 14 gage (0.0747″). A Galvanized proactive layer serves two main corrosive protective functions; Barrier and Sacrificial Protection. The barrier protection refers to film that stops oxygen and corrosives from reaching the steel surface. In addition to the barrier, the application of zinc supplies a ‘sacrificial anode’ for protection to the steel. Zinc has a higher electro-chemical potential (more active) then steel. When zinc and steel are in contact in an electrolyte, the zinc
