EPS Application and End Use Testing
During EPS technology development it was important to thoroughly test, evaluate and document the performance of EPS processed steel in a wide range of applications. The need was clear: if EPS replaces an acid pickled product, it must perform at least as well as an acid pickled product in painting, galvanizing, fabrication and other downstream operations.
Substantial testing of EPS processed material was been performed – much of it in accredited laboratories and much on the factory floor. The test descriptions and results are gathered in the 113 page report “EPS END USE AND APPLICATION TEST RESULTS.” The report can be downloaded in its entirety and specific sections accessed through the table below.
The tests document how EPS processed material performs at least as well as acid-pickled material and, in the majority of cases, outperforms acid-pickled material against test criteria. The very uniform optimized texture of EPS and the oil-free surface are most often cited as the reasons for this performance.
EPS-processed steel offers very good performance for hot dip galvanizing. It presents a very uniform, ‘tight’ finish with excellent adhesion. EPS can be combined with a hot strip galvanizing line in place of an acid pickling section.
Eco Pickled steel eliminates fumes from welding and lasering process making it safer for our workers and the environment. Not only is it safer during our thermal processes, it offers a much cleaner surface for paint adhesion.
The quality of the steel strip surface after EPS processing is superior to acid pickled strip. We see it and steel mill reps agree. EPS-processed strip steel has numerous advantages for further downstream processing of the steel.
The HR Black (nice smooth USX finish) had significantly more tooling wear than the EPS product. I thought the higher Ra EPS surface would have been harsher on the tool. I’m very impressed with EPS – all is positive, no negatives.