InterCoat® ChemGuard

What is InterCoat® Chemguard?

InterCoat® ChemGuard is a line of versatile, customizable, corrosion-inhibiting coatings that create a permanent molecular bond with most zinc and zinc-alloy coated substrates.

InterCoat® ChemGuard:

Enhances zinc performance on galvanized steel
Greatly extends the corrosion protection of galvanized products, so you can buy steel at a lower cost with improved performance
RoHS compliant and free of Hexavalent Chromium; available chrome free
Has properties that enhance adhesion and secondary processing, such as roll-forming & stamping

Performance Like Nothing Else

Why InterCoat® ChemGuard

HDG G235 + Chemtreat vs HDG G30 + InterCoat ChemGaurd

Better Protection

G30 with InterCoat™ ChemGuard is proven to perform better than hexavalent chromium passivated G235.

See the Third-Party Test Results

Environmentally-Friendly

InterCoat® ChemGuard was created by our research and development team to be an environmentally-friendly product that reduces the need for zinc coatings heavier than G30 and eliminates the need for temporary corrosion protection.

Cost-Saving

Never buy G90 or above again: With InterCoat® ChemGuard, your steel will be better protected from rust and cost less.

How it Works

InterCoat® ChemGuard is a technological advance that chemically bonds with the galvanized surface, providing unique properties to the metal substrate. With increased lubricity compared to oil, InterCoat® ChemGuard extends the life of zinc and protects the metal through all your secondary processing, such as stamping, roll forming and cutting.

Technical Resources

Find Your InterCoat® ChemGuard Solution

Find out which of our InterCoat® ChemGuard products best meets your needs with our Solution Finder. This personalized product quiz will determine the best fit for your production and end-use needs.

If we don’t already have a solution, our R&D team can create a custom formula to fit your specific requirements.

Find Your Solution

Performance

InterCoat® ChemGuard performs like nothing else. Protecting steel through:

Cut Edges

You know how when you cut carbon steel it seems to almost instantly rust on the cut edge? And how hard it is to prevent it using any traditional method?

InterCoat® ChemGuard offers excellent edge protection, thanks to its InterReactive® technology. The InterReactive® layer of ChemGuard reacts with newly exposed zinc on the edge, further protecting your substrate and product life.

Learn More

Perforating

Results after drilling a hole into three peices of galvanized metal and putting each peice in a salt spray test for 1,000 hours:

Hot dipped galvanized: 80% red rust on the perforation.

Galvalume: 60% rust on the perforation.

InterCoat®ChemGuard: Minimal rust on perforation

Stamping & Dry Forming

With our built-in lubricity packages, InterCoat® ChemGuard can be stamped and formed dry in most moderate forming applications- all while still offering excellent corrosion protection!

Welding

With heavy zinc (such as G165 or G235) welding can be inefficient and costly. The welding of heavy galvanized coatings requires more energy to get through the additional metal mass, increases replacement frequency of weld tips due to fouling, and can even increase labor costs due to the need to grind away zinc to allow for proper welding.

Lower galvanized coating weights in combination with InterCoat® ChemGuard allows processors to keep costs down and allow welding efficiencies to go up.

Abrasion/ Wear & Tear

InterCoat® ChemGuard’s InterReactive® technology gives it self-healing characteristics. When the surface of metal is scratched or damaged, the InterReactive® layer of ChemGuard reacts with the newly exposed zinc, further protecting your substrate and product life.

Unlike paint or other barrier coatings—ChemGuard continues to provide corrosion protection even through surface damage!

Taber Abrasion Gravelometer

Cold Reduction

The most extreme evidence of our InterReactive® coating, which is embedded with the zinc and integrated at the molecular level, is the customer who cold reduces excess galvanneal by 50% with no loss of coating.

Even with all the vertical and horizontal forces, the InterCoat® ChemGuard remains intact and functioning, providing continuous corrosion protection!

Body-In-White

As of 2020, our recent technological developments in InterCoat® ChemGuard allowed us to bring the line into the automotive supply chain.

InterCoat® ChemGuard for BIW applications was throuroughly tested and approved by a leading BIW chemistries supplier and a major OEM. Studies showed no interference with bath chemistries in the cleaning or pretreatment sections.

Learn More

Tinting

InterCoat® ChemGuard is available in black and gray tints that can replace the need for paint applications.

Painting

InterCoat® ChemGuard can be post-painted and used as hybrid pretreatment or primer.

Post-Paint Guide

Compatibilities

Galvanneal

At 500 hours there is very little change.

At over 1,500 hours there is less than 1% white rust and no red rust.

HDG

Electro-Galvanized (EG)

At less than 100 hours, the control 30G/30G is at 60% red rust.

At more than ten times longer in the same salt spray cabinet—1,100 hours—InterCoat® ChemGuard is only at 10% red rust!

ZAM®

Conditions

Underground

These InterCoat® ChemGuard protected panels were buried in the ground at our facility in Gary, Indiana for 3 years without any indication of corrosion having taken place.

Corrosive Atmosphere

Subtropical Region

We currently have had InterCoat® ChemGuard panels being tested in subtropical conditions for five years- and counting- with minimal, if any, corrosion.