Zinc and aluminum flakes inside the coating will be oxidized preferentially in corrosive environments, acting as sacrificial anodes to protect the steel substrate. Since zinc and aluminum have lower electrode potential than iron, when the coating gets damaged, zinc-aluminum flakes corrode prior to the substrate and prevent the base material from erosion.

The Dacromet coating consists of multi-layer overlapping flaky zinc and aluminum sheets, forming a dense physical barrier that effectively blocks the penetration of corrosive media such as water molecules and chloride ions.

During coating curing, chromic acid reacts with zinc and aluminum flakes to form complex chromate passivation films, which further improve the corrosion resistance of the coating.