Who would’ve thought a twitchy frog leg could lead to one of the most enduring industrial innovations of all time?
Hot dip galvanising, the robust process that has protected steel for over 180 years, owes part of its origin story to the curious observation of a frog’s post-mortem jig.
Let’s hop back in time to unravel the tale:
The humble beginnings of zinc
Zinc’s history stretches back over two millennia, with artifacts from 2500 years ago revealing its use in intricate alloys. By the 18th century, its potential as a corrosion-fighting superhero began to shine.
In 1742, Paul Jacques Malouin demonstrated a groundbreaking process: dipping iron into molten zinc to stave off rust. While Malouin’s discovery initially found its way into household items, it wasn’t until an electrifying twist that the story got even more interesting.
Enter the frog (and Luigi Galvani)
Fast forward to 1780, when Luigi Galvani, an Italian scientist, stumbled upon a curious phenomenon. While experimenting with frog legs (yes, science was quite different back then), Galvani observed that the muscles twitched when touched by two dissimilar metals. He didn’t fully understand it at the time, but this discovery was the spark for what we now call “galvanisation,” named in his honour.
A chain reaction of innovation
Galvani’s findings inspired further experiments. By 1824, Sir Humphrey Davy demonstrated how connecting dissimilar metals could protect one from corrosion in water—a concept that forms the backbone of modern galvanising. Then, industrial innovators like Stanislas Sorel and William Crawford took these principles and patented processes to coat steel in molten zinc, creating the foundation for the hot dip galvanising we know today.
Galvanising gains momentum across Britain
From docks to industrial design, galvanised steel began transforming industries. By the mid-19th century, the British Navy was using galvanised iron in its infrastructure, and the galvanising industry in the UK was consuming 10,000 tonnes of zinc annually.
United States enter the fold
Across the Atlantic, the United States joined the party slightly behind their British counterparts, establishing its first galvanising plant in 1870.
A legacy of protection
Today, hot dip galvanising remains the gold standard (or should we say zinc standard?) for protecting steel in harsh environments. It’s measurable, reliable, and trusted worldwide – just as dependable as the science that started with a frog’s fateful twitch.
Who knew that a small leap in scientific curiosity could lead to leaps of innovation that continue to protect our world’s infrastructure?
Ribbit to that!
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