Zinc coatings prevent metal oxidation by forming a barrier and by behaving as a sacrificial anode if the barrier coating is damaged.  The resultant coating is soft and possesses excellent corrosion resistance. 

Zinc plating produces an excellent deposit that is ductile, uniform and exhibits clean brilliance on all qualities of steel.  This includes carbonaceous steel as well as cast and malleable iron. 

The zinc plating passivation process offers a choice of gold, clear, olive and black passivates.  Alternatively it can provide a good base for paint or powder coating.

Excellent corrosion resistance combined with cost-effectiveness means that the majority of hardware parts tend to be zinc, rather than cadmium plated.