(3) Galvanization is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron,to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which parts are submerged in a bath of molten zinc. The zinc serves as a sacrificial anode so that even i f the coat ing is scratched, the exposed steel will still be protected by the remaining zinc. The zinc protects its base metal by corroding before iron. For better results, application of chromates over zinc is also seen as an industrial trend.