The title of this post isn’t the beginning of a bad joke; it’s a question that highlights one of the key aspects of FasTrak Plus EMT. Depending on your perspective, you can probably think of a bunch of different answers, but the one we’re thinking of is zinc.

 

Since 1982, U.S. One Cent Pieces (better known as pennies) have been made from 97.5 percent by weight zinc with a thin cosmetic plating of copper to maintain their recognizable color. FasTrak Plus, on the other hand, is made with 100 percent made in America steel, and galvanized with a layer of zinc alloy to give it protection from corrosion and maintain its recognizable appearance.

Unlike pennies and some galvanized products on the market, our high temperature galvanizing process doesn’t just plate a cosmetic layer of zinc on the pipe; it actually enables the zinc to react with the surface of the steel to provide the multiple alloy layers shown in the cross-sectional microscope image below. This strengthens the bond between the zinc and the steel, which leads to a greater level of corrosion protection.

 

At JMC we take pride in our products, driving us to go one step further and protect the protection.  While the zinc on the surface of the tube is protecting our product (and your investment) from red rust, we apply a state-of-the-art clear, organic coating over the zinc to protect it from white rust.  In the same way that red rust is – technically speaking – an oxidation reaction of iron in the steel to form iron oxide, white rust is the oxidation of zinc to form zinc oxide.

If you’ve ever seen an old surfing or beach movie, you may have noticed the strange-looking white paste on the all lifeguards’ noses.  That paste is ultra-strong sunscreen made from zinc oxide, and it doesn’t look any cooler on tubing than it did in those movies!  This is what drives us to such lengths to protect the metal that’s protecting the tube – when we protect the zinc on the surface of our pipe, we’re helping you keep more of those zinc pennies in your pocket.