The electrodeposition of galvanic coatings was performed using a chloride-based acidic electrolytic bath containing polyethylene glycol (PEG) as an additive. The electrolytic bath was prepared using Zn and Mn recovered from exhausted zinc-carbon batteries by means of acid leaching with HCl. The coatings were obtained potentiostatically at -1.2 V and -1.6V (vs. Ag/AgCl) and galvanostatically with a current density of -10 mA cm(-2). The results indicated that the presence of PEG in the bath during galvanostatic deposition favored the formation of a coating containing a mixture of Zn and Zn-Mn alloy with an Mn content of around 2 wt%. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.