Galvanized wire is often compared with annealed wire. This is because they both have similar uses, such as being used as binding wire. In fact, each type of wire has unique characteristics and properties. Galvanized wire and annealed wire differ in many ways, such as treatment, production process, and color appearance. If you are interested, keep reading to learn more details about both of them.

Galvanized Wire Introduction

Galvanized wire, as the name implies, is a wire coated with a zinc layer. Due to the zinc coating, the wire becomes more durable. This is because the zinc layer has the effect of preventing rust and corrosion. There are two types of galvanizing processes, hot-dip galvanizing and electro-galvanizing. Hot-dip galvanizing has a thicker zinc layer, up to 300 microns. Electro-galvanizing, on the other hand, has a thinner zinc layer, usually only 3-15 microns. This means that wire that has undergone the hot-dip galvanizing process has better corrosion protection than wire that has undergone the electro-galvanizing process.

Galvanized Steel Wire Applications

Due to its excellent performance, galvanized wire is widely used in various fields such as construction, handicrafts, highway guardrails, product packaging, and daily civilian use. In addition, it can also be made into wire mesh for use. Take the garden fences, animal fences, and meadow fences that we commonly see in our daily lives as examples, many of them are made of galvanized wire.

Pros

Annealing Wire Introduction

Annealed wire is a soft iron wire product made from low carbon steel by cold-drawing, heating, constant temperature, and heat preservation processes. It has a tensile strength of 300 ~ 500 MPa. In addition, due to its unique manufacturing process, annealed wire has flexibility that other metal wires do not have. It is very flexible and can be used for various purposes.

Annealed Wire Applications

Because of its flexibility and plasticity, black annealed wire is widely used in construction, handicrafts, woven wire ropes, filters, and other fields. Among them, 1.6mm wire is processed by machine to beat the spool, mainly in the special wire for haying machine. It is popular to use annealed wire for baling hay.

Differences Between Galvanized and Annealed Wire

Here are the differences between the two for your reference.

Product	Galvanized Steel Wire	Annealed Wire
Material	High quality carbon steel	High quality iron wire
Production Process	Drawing and forming → pickling and rust removal → high temperature annealing → hot dip galvanizing → cooling	Pickling→Descaling→Drawing→High temperature annealing
Features	Sturdy, durable, anti-corrosion and anti-rust	High flexibility and good plasticity

Comparison of Corrosion Resistance

Although annealed wire is equally resistant to rust when oiled, galvanized wire is still better than annealed wire in terms of corrosion and rust resistance. When black annealed wire is used or stored outdoors, it can easily rust, which can cause the wire to fail. Galvanized wire, on the other hand, is well adapted to the outdoor environment. It still performs well even under harsh conditions.

Flexibility Comparison

From the perspective of flexibility, galvanized wire is not as tough as black annealed wire. In the production process, the quality of the finished wire is ensured so that the wire reaches a certain level of strength and the appropriate level of flexibility. This also means that it will be more flexible to use.

Which One Is Right for Me?

Galvanized wire or annealed wire, which is better for you? You need to determine your use. If your project requires a strong, durable wire with high requirements for corrosion and rust protection, then galvanized wire is the best choice. It can meet these needs for you. If you need a more flexible wire, then you can choose annealed wire. There is no one better, you need to choose what is best for you. If you are confused and don’t know how to choose, you can contact Wanzhi Steel. We will work out a solution for you based on your actual needs.

Leading Wire Manufacturer — Wanzhi Steel

Wanzhi Steel is a reputable manufacturer of metal wire in China. We can provide you with high quality galvanized and annealed wires. In addition, you can also find PVC coated wires from us. We will provide you with a wide range of black annealed and galvanized wires in various sizes and specifications according to your needs to meet your different applications. Once you have the intention to purchase, please contact Wanzhi Steel promptly and we will serve you immediately. We look forward to having you as a partner.