Parkerizing is a technique that adds a phosphate coating to steel to protect it from wear and corrosion. It uses zinc, iron, or manganese and is commonly used on handguns. The process involves immersing the metal in a bath of acid and salts, and the resulting phosphate salts become an integral part of the steel. The metal needs to be coated with oil to resist corrosion, and parkerized metal is more wear-resistant than untreated steel.
Parkerizing is a technique used to add a phosphate coating to steel to protect it from wear and corrosion. This coating is typically composed of a zinc phosphate, although it can also use iron or manganese. It cannot be applied to non-ferrous metals such as copper and aluminum, and steel with a high nickel content may also be unsuitable. The technique is most commonly used on handguns and has been a popular alternative to bluing since the mid-20th century. Most parkerized metal takes on a dull gray finish, although some techniques can result in a darker black color.
The parkerization technique is based on iron phosphating processes which were carried out for the first time at the end of the 19th century. Similar manganese phosphating was also experimented with in the early 20th century, which led to the development of parkerization around the 19th century. A new process of the same name was developed around the 20th century, which used zinc instead of manganese. Since zinc was easier to find and less expensive than manganese, this became the most popular method at the time.
Phosphating is a process which involves immersing a metal object in a bath of acid and salts. In the case of parkerization, the metal is steel and the phosphate salts can be zinc, manganese or iron. A chemical reaction between the steel and the acid causes phosphate salts to be drawn out of the liquid and into the metal of the workpiece. This results in the formation of zinc, iron or manganese phosphates on the metal surface.
As phosphates are chemically deposited on the surface of a piece of metal during the Parkerizing process, they become an integral part of the steel. This is also the case with burnishing, which is what distinguishes these techniques from other types of corrosion protection. Methods that involve painting a substance onto the metal can create a similar color and patina, but the metal is not chemically changed.
For parkerized metal to show resistance to corrosion, it typically needs to be coated with oil. This is because the phosphate coating is porous and not resistant to corrosion on its own. When coated with oil regularly, the pores are filled and the phosphate coating can offer excellent corrosion protection. Parkerized metal is typically more wear resistant than untreated steel, whether it is oil coated or not.
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