How is zinc ash formed, and what are its components?

Zinc ash, also known as zinc oxide, forms rapidly during hot-dip galvanizing, essentially regenerating immediately after each scraping due to the immediate reaction between molten zinc metal and oxygen in the air, producing zinc oxide. Additionally, when the solvent on the steel pipe to be galvanized is immersed in the molten zinc, it activates the adsorption of zinc onto the iron surface, with a side effect of forming some zinc ash and solvent residue. Zinc ash is primarily composed of a mixture of zinc oxide, metallic zinc particles, chlorides, and other acid-insoluble impurities. The zinc oxide in zinc ash is partly pure zinc oxide and partly combined with other oxides. Small metallic zinc particles generally account for 15-35% of the total zinc ash. Depending on the tool used for scooping the ash, this percentage can reach 30-60%, and in some cases, even 70-75%.