Galvanized steel has a protective layer that helps protect against corrosion caused by weathering. In contrast, carbon steel does not have this protection, so it will rust more quickly when exposed to environmental elements without proper protection. As far as cost goes, galvanized steel may be more expensive than carbon due to its protective layer, but this added cost could save you money in the long run due to the increased durability provided by the zinc coating!

Galvanized pipes are pipes made of iron that are coated with a zinc layer. The process that is used to produce galvanized pipe is called galvanization. Galvanization is applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron to prevent the metal from rusting.

The processes of production of galvanized pipe include hot-dip galvanization, thermal diffusion galvanizing, and electrochemical methods. The most common and cost-effective method is hot-dip galvanization. Here, the pipe is submerged in a hot bath of molten zinc. After taking the pipe out of the bath, a zinc layer is left on the surface of the pipe. This zinc layer acts as a protective coating.

The zinc coating acts as a sacrificial anode. Even if the coating is scratched, the exposed iron on the surface of the pipe is protected by the remaining zinc layer.