SteelKey facts
- Zinc protects steel twice: as a barrier, and by corroding first where the steel is exposed.
- The service life of a zinc coating rises in line with its thickness.
- EN 10244-2 defines coating mass as the mass of zinc per unit of bare wire surface, in g/m².
- ASTM A641 covers zinc-coated carbon steel wire in coils, in soft, medium and hard temper.
- Gauge numbers belong to several systems that are not interchangeable, so wire is ordered in millimetres.
What is galvanized wire, from a buyer’s point of view?
For an importer, galvanized wire is drawn carbon steel wire that has been given a zinc coating, sold by the tonne in coils. The steel carries the load; the zinc keeps it from rusting. References on galvanizing describe two ways the zinc works. It separates the steel from the atmosphere, and because zinc is more reactive than iron, it oxidizes in preference to the steel at scratches, cut ends and small defects.
Buyers meet the product under several names, such as galvanized steel wire or galvanized iron wire, while ASTM A641 calls it zinc-coated (galvanized) carbon steel wire. Our GI wire explainer covers the term. The name is not what a mill quotes against. It quotes against a diameter, a coating, a standard and a packing, and those are the fields this guide walks through.
Our product page for hot-dip galvanized wire lists the range we source. All of the Reinwent figures below come from it.
Which fields belong in a galvanized wire import order?
A request that leaves fields open gets offers that cannot be compared. These are the lines we ask importers to fill in before we approach manufacturers.
| Order field | What to write | Reinwent range |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | The size in mm, not a gauge number | 0.8 to 8 mm |
| Zinc coating | Coating mass in g/m², or a class from one standard | 50 to 300 g/m² |
| Standard | The one standard the offer must meet | EN 10244-2 and ASTM A641 |
| Temper | Soft, medium or hard, where ordering to ASTM A641 | On request |
| Packing and logistics | Coil weight or packing, quantity in tonnes, destination port or site | |
Why order by diameter in millimetres, not by gauge?
Gauge numbers look like a size, but they are an index into a table, and there are several tables. The British Standard Wire Gauge and the American Wire Gauge, for instance, use similar numbering that is not interchangeable, and the US National Bureau of Standards published a comparison of the different gage systems side by side for exactly this reason.
The safe habit is to send millimetres. If a customer’s drawing or tender gives a gauge, convert it with our wire gauge chart, check which gauge system the customer meant, and put the mm figure in the order.
What does the zinc coating mass in g/m² tell you?
EN 10244-2 defines coating mass as the mass of zinc per unit area of bare wire surface, expressed in grams per square metre. The American Galvanizers Association states that the service life of a zinc coating is a linear function of its thickness, which is why the g/m² figure is the number to read first on any offer.
A coating figure means little without the diameter, because the standards set their minimum masses by diameter band. An order with no coating figure at all is risky: EN 10244-2 has a regular coating for the case where no class or mass is named, and ASTM A641 also allows wire to be ordered as regular coating with no minimum mass specified. If your end use needs a heavy coating, say so in g/m².
EN 10244-2 or ASTM A641: which standard should the order name?
Both standards cover zinc on steel wire, but they are separate systems.
EN 10244-2 specifies the requirements for coating mass, other properties and testing of zinc and zinc alloy coatings on steel wire and wire products of circular or other section. It sets minimum zinc masses by class and diameter.
ASTM A641 covers zinc-coated carbon steel wire in coils for general use, in soft, medium and hard temper. Its coating classes carry their own minimum masses, again by diameter.
The classes of one standard do not translate into the other, and the same letter can stand for a very different coating. We do not convert between them here. Choose the standard your market or tender expects, name it once in the order, and take the class or figure from that standard alone. Our guide to zinc coating classes sets out each system’s table on its own.
Mechanical properties belong to the same choice. Where you order to ASTM A641, state the temper the end use needs. If your market expects a tensile figure, write the band you require and ask each offer to confirm it against the standard named.
Does the galvanizing process matter for an import order?
It does, because the process largely decides how much zinc ends up on the wire. Hot-dip galvanizing immerses the steel in molten zinc and builds zinc-iron alloy layers; electrogalvanizing plates a thinner layer by electric current. We source hot-dip galvanized wire. Our guide on hot-dip vs electro-galvanized wire covers the two processes, and the coating mass in the order remains the figure that settles the question.
How are coils, packing and loading agreed?
ASTM A641 describes the wire as supplied in coils, and coils are how we quote it. Coil weight and packing affect handling at your warehouse and how the load fits in the container, so give a preference if you have one; otherwise ask for each manufacturer’s standard packing and compare it across offers.
The tonnage per container depends on the coil weight, the packing and the weight limit of the container booked, so it is confirmed for each order. Our container loading guide for wire coils explains the published container limits.
What should you check when comparing offers?
Before putting prices side by side, confirm that each offer states:
- the same diameter in mm, with its tolerance;
- the same standard, and a coating class or g/m² figure from that standard;
- the same temper, or the same tensile band if you asked for one;
- the same galvanizing process;
- the same coil weight and packing;
- the same quantity and delivery point.
A low figure on an incomplete offer often hides a lighter coating or a different packing.
Galvanized wire manufacturers and suppliers in Türkiye
Türkiye is a large steel producer and exporter. The Turkish Steel Producers Association reports rising crude steel output and steel product exports, and the Turkish Steel Exporters’ Association notes that the country’s steel manufacturers export all over the world. Drawn and zinc-coated wire is one of the products made from that steel. For buyers comparing galvanized wire manufacturers, or looking for galvanized wire suppliers and GI wire suppliers who can quote to a named standard, this is the market we work in. We do not publish supplier names; we match your order with manufacturers that can meet it.
How does Reinwent help you buy galvanized wire?
Reinwent is a trading and sourcing company, not a mill. You send a single specification; our team asks manufacturers in Türkiye to quote on it, puts the offers on one basis and goes through the differences with you, then follows the order until the wire reaches you. The page on galvanized wire from Türkiye describes the buying steps, and the steel wire hub lists every wire type we supply. When the fields in the table are ready, request a quote and you receive a quotation within 12 hours.
