Damaging and cracks path in bended galvanized specimens: influence of Pb and Sn contents V. Di Cocco 1 , F. Iacoviello 1 and S. Natali 2 1 Di.M.S.A.T. - Università di Cassino, via G. Di Biasio, 43 03043, Cassino (FR), Italy 2 Dip.I.C.M.A. - Università di Roma “Sapienza”, Via Eudossiana 18, Roma ABSTRACT. Hot-dip galvanizing is one of most important protection technique against corrosion in many environments. In this work damage and crack propagation in intermetallic zinc based coating phases was investigated in order to evaluate chemical influence of Pb and Sn in the bath, comparing not-alloyed zinc bath. Hot dip zinc coated ipersandelin steel specimens were investigated in order to identify the main damaging micromechanisms during bending tests, considering both chemical composition and intermetallic phases distribution influence. Longitudinal sections of bended specimens were observed by means of a LOM (Light Optical Microscope) and main damage micromechanisms were identified as longitudinal and radial cracks. Experimetal results obtained with Zn-Pb and Zn-Sn baths were compared with coatings obtained using Zn bath. INTRODUCTION Hot dip galvanizing is one of most important processing technique to protect metallic components in many corrosive environments [1]. From a technological standpoint, the principles of galvanizing have remained unchanged since this coating came into use over 200 years ago. However, because of new applications in the automotive and construction industry, a considerable amount of research has recently occurred on all aspects of the galvanizing process and on new types of Zn coatings [2]. New applications investigations on bath composition were oriented to obtained coating mechanical behaviour oriented to use in high plastic deformations [1-4]. Zn and Zn-based coating formation is a diffusion driving phenomenon, where Zn and Fe atoms are characterized by interdiffusion at high temperature [5]. Different Zn contents from external surface of coating to substrate boundary, generate some intermetallic phases [3]. The influence of alloying components and their concentrations in the bath on intermetallic phases formations are very important to generate a brittle or a ductile coating, due to different phases behaviours and thicknesses. Four intermetallic layers are usually observed in classical Zn, Zn-Pb and Zn-Sn coatings, characterized by with different Fe contents (decreasing from steel substrate to surface [5]). The inner layer, namely  phase (generally BCC), is characterized by high Fe content (17-28 wt%), with a very low thickness, often negligible [3].  phase is 593