Recent development of UHSS and its hot-dip galvanizing processes in Baosteel

Baosteel has excelled in automotive steel sheets in the past three decades.It has made a significant contribution to the development of China’s automotive industry by producing a wide range of high-quality steel products.Some milestones achieved by Baosteel automotive steel sheet were briefly reviewed.The current challenges in producing ultra-high strength steel(UHSS),especially hot-dip galvanized UHSS,were summarized.The most current advancements in UHSS and the corresponding hot-dip galvanizing processes were discussed.The galvanizability of Si-Mn-added QP steel and DP steel, Mn-added TWIP steel, and Al-added low-density steel has been improved by different techniques in Baosteel.

Effect of hot-dip galvanizing processes on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 600-MPa hot-dip galvanized dual-phase steel

A C–Mn dual-phase steel was soaked at 800°C for 90 s and then either rapidly cooled to 450°C and held for 30 s(process A) or rapidly cooled to 350°C and then reheated to 450°C(process B) to simulate the hot-dip galvanizing process. The influence of the hot-dip galvanizing process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 600-MPa hot-dip galvanized dual-phase steel(DP600) was investigated using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), and tensile tests. The results showed that, in the case of process A, the microstructure of DP600 was composed of ferrite, martensite, and a small amount of bainite. The granular bainite was formed in the hot-dip galvanizing stage, and martensite islands were formed in the final cooling stage after hot-dip galvanizing. By contrast, in the case of process B, the microstructure of the DP600 was composed of ferrite, martensite, bainite, and cementite. In addition, compared with the yield strength(YS) of the DP600 annealed by process A, that for the DP600 annealed by process B increased by approximately 50 MPa because of the tempering of the martensite formed during rapid cooling. The work-hardening coefficient(n value) of the DP600 steel annealed by process B clearly decreased because the increase of the YS affected the computation result for the n value. However, the ultimate tensile strength(UTS) and elongation(A80) of the DP600 annealed by process B exhibited less variation compared with those of the DP600 annealed by process A. Therefore, DP600 with excellent comprehensive mechanical properties(YS = 362 MPa, UTS = 638 MPa, A_(80) = 24.3%, n = 0.17) was obtained via process A.

Roll Shape Setting Technology of Hot Galvanizing and Planishing Mill

A roll shape setting model was built for the hot galvanizing and planishing mill. The uniform transversal distributions of the front tension in the exit and the unit pressure were considered as the objective function. At the same time, the quality of the products, the stability of zinc layer, and the homogeneity of spangles were of considerable significance in the planishing process. The model was applied to the roll shape setting of the 1800 cold rolling 3# CGL hot galvanizing and planishing mill of Baosteel Co Ltd. After being planished, the flatness of a strip that was less than 6 I was more than 97%, and the flatness of others were less than 10 I; the pass percentage of the zinc lay- ers reached 100%.

Preparation and hot-dip galvanizing application of CeO_2/Zn nanocomposite

CeO2/Zn nanocomposite was fabricated by high-energy ball milling and subsequent hot-press sintering under vacuum. The produced nanocomposite powders and bulks were characterized using X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrum （EDS）. The as-fabricated nanocomposite bulks were added successfully into the hot-dip galvanizing bath to improve the corrosion resistance of coatings. The results show that after milling for 120min, nano-sized CeO2 particles are distributed homogeneously on the surface of fine Zn particles to form spherical-like nanocomposite powder with narrow grain size distribution. The subsequent sintering does not lead to a dramatic grain growth, and the distribution of CeO2 nanoparticles in the composite bulk is also homogeneous. With the addition of as-prepared bulks, the corrosion resistance of the galvanized coatings is improved obviously. It provides a feasible route for adding CeO2 nanoparticles into the hot-dip galvanized coating.

Cracking of S235JR Cold-Deformed Steel during Galvanizing—Developing a Test to Evaluate and Predict the Effect of the Zinc Alloy Composition

This paper presents a study on the cracking of steel pieces during their galvanization in alloyed liquid zinc. An experimental design was developed to show the effect of the amount of the various alloying elements (Sn, Bi, Pb) on this phenomenon. The characterization of the effect was obtained by 1) deformation by three-point bending of a piece of steel with different levels of deflection;2) galvanizing and 3) observation and measurement of the cracks. A model of the critical deflection (deflection for crack starting) with the amounts of Sn, Pb, and Bi is presented and the predictions are described.

Innovative integrating of hot-dipped(aluminizing) galvanizing lines and engineering of related equipment

Based on the continuous hot(aluminizing) galvanizing lines and related non-standard equipment of Meishan Steel,this paper presents the main contents of such integrated engineering and designing of equipment for the two hot-dipped galvanizing lines,as well as innovative techniques and their features.Led by Cold Rolling Project Department of Meishan Steel,Baosteel Engineering and Technology Group Co.,Ltd. ,working as the responsible unit of this project,develops key technologies and integrates the system by combining the equipment design and development capacity of Baosteel Engineering,research and development capacity of Research Institute of Baosteel,process production and equipment maintenance experience of Cold Rolling Plant,Equipment Department and Manufacture Department of Baosteel Corporation.Core technologies of the two lines are developed and designed through original and integrated innovation and innovation after digestion,focusing on eight core techniques in process equipment,annealing furnace,fluid installation and EIC system.As a result of integration in key process equipment,industrial furnace and EIC control,the cold rolling hot dipped(aluminizing) galvanizing lines take on a new look and reach an annual capacity of 200 000 t galvanized products and 250 000 t galvanized aluminium base strips respectively.These two world advanced lines are able to produce hot-dipped galvanizing products with high quality surface and fine shape,such as household appliance board and senior construction board.As a result, the process and equipment technology of the lines have formed domestic intellectual property.Thus,the technology has reference value for self-integration and equipment technology innovation of similar lines.

The new technical progress of hot dip galvanizing process without sink roll

In this paper,the recent state and problems of the sink roll in CGL are described.Several methods of increasing its operational life span are introduced,such as surface coating technology and sleeve material technology.Fundamentally they cannot solve the problems of surface quality caused by the contact between strip and roll.On this basis,the newly developed principle and solutions for hot dip galvanizing technology without sink roll are highly emphasized,they are Float Technology,Electromagnetic pump technology,Electromagnetic enclosed slot by high-frequency AC,Electromagnetic enclosed slot by high-frequency DC.A comparison among their functions and characteristics is made and the possibility of its application is also discussed.Finally it comes to a conclusion that electromagnetic enclosed slot represents the direction of a continuous hot-dip galvanizing steel strip in the the 21st century.It has a very broad application prospects.Baosteel Technology Center is focused on the research and development of this technology.As technology advances,industrial applications is possible.

Application of WC cermet sprayed composite coating in hot-dip galvanizing lines

With the rapid development of the automobile industry, the use of galvannealed and galvanized steel sheets in automobiles is on the rise. These sheets must meet very high surface quality requirements. The surface treatment of line rolls is known to have a great impact on strip quality. To prevent dusts such as zinc ash from pressing into the strip surface, we used a composite thermal spray surface treatment technique to treat rolls. The successfully developed tungsten carbide （WC） ＋ Ni-P composite plating technology improved the quality of the tungsten carbide thermally sprayed WC roll surface. This technique is also helpful to control defects such as adhered foreign materials in hot-dip galvanized automobile outer panel surfaces.

Simulation analysis of hot dip galvanizing process parameters based on orthogonal experimental design

An iron and steel company＇ s hot galvanizing technology was chosen as the object. An orthogonal experimental scheme with 5 factors of mixed level was designed, according to the various factors affecting the distribution of slag. For each scheme, the amount of slag and slag height in different orthogonal schemes by simulation were obtained with FLUENT software. Then, range and variance analyses were selected to compare the trend of slag height in the different process parameters of the hot dip galvanizing process. Finally, the optimal combination of the process parameters was obtained.

Preparation of Antimicrobial Iron Oxide Nanostructures from Galvanizing Effluent

Galvanization is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to iron or steel to prevent rusting. In the batch hot-dip galvanizing process, large amounts of wastes originate in liquid, solid and gaseous forms. Acidic waste containing iron and zinc ions is produced due to the cleaning of steel prior to zinc coating, which is considered the galvanizing acid waste. The galvanizing effluent used was collected from LTL Galvanizers Pvt. Ltd., Sapugaskanda, Sri Lanka, and converted into antimicrobial hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were synthesized using a chemical precipitation method. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the nanomaterials produced. Two pathogenic bacteria and one pathogenic fungus were used to analyze the antimicrobial activity of the nanomaterials. All the samples showed excellent antibacterial and antifungal properties. And the material can inhibit the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. According to the SEM images, some of the hematite particles were around 100 nm in size or less, which confirms that the describing method is viable in synthesizing hematite nanostructures. As shown in the XRD, the major diffraction peak, located at 2θ of 35.617° (110) in addition to minor peaks at 24.87° (012), 33.07° (104), 42.08° (113), 51.18° (024), 53.52° (116) and, 57.46° (018) confirm the spinel structure of iron oxide (α-Fe2O3). The estimated average crystallite size of the nanomaterial is calculated to be 36.74 nm. The durability of the manufactured nanomaterial is excellent. This method is a time-efficient, environmentally friendly, cost-effective and industrially viable way to manufacture antimicrobial hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanomaterials from a galvanizing effluent.

Design of TRIP Steel With High Welding and Galvanizing Performance in Light of Thermodynamics and Kinetics

A new type of transformation induced plasticity （TRIP） steel with not only high strength and high ductility but also superior welding and galvanizing properties was designed and developed recently. Low carbon and low silicon content were preliminarily selected with the aim of meeting the requirements of superior quality in both welding and galvanizing. Phosphorus was chosen as one of the alloying elements, because it could reduce carbon activity in cementite and increase the stability of austenite. In addition, the possibility of phosphorus segregating at grain boundary was also discussed by thermodynamics as well as kinetics. Phase diagram was estimated at high temperature and the composition of the steel was then selected in the hyperperitectic range to avoid problems, which might occur in sheet steel continuous casting. Phase diagram in the inter.critical temperature was estimated for the steel to obtain the starting temperature of fast cooling. For understanding the minimum rate of fast cooling, pearlite growth kinetics was calculated with self-developed diffusion coefficients of elements in grain boundary. Overaging temperature was determined through the calculation of To temperature by both equilibrium and para-equilibrium assumptions, which was different from the current determination, which is only based on an equilibrium estimation.

A sandwich-like structure hybrid coating of cold galvanizing coating/polydopamine on hot-dip galvanized steel with enhanced adhesion and corrosion resistance

This study aims to enhance the adhesion strength and anti-corrosion performance of the cold galvanizing coating(CGC)applied on the hot-dip galvanized steel(HDG).Polydopamine(PDA)is deposited on the HDG surface with different time ranges and as an interlayer between CGC and HDG through covalent immobilization.The surface morphology and the covalent interaction between PDA/HDG are exhibited by scanning electron microscope(SEM),atomic force microscopy(AFM)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The pull-off adhesion tests before and after neutral slat spry tests show an enhanced dry adhesion strength and less adhesion loss of the hybrid CGC/PDA coated HDG compared with the direct CGC coated HDG.In addition,open circuit potential(OCP)reveals that the corrosion protection performance of the hybrid CGC/PDA coated HDG increases by 200%(up to 201 d)and the corrosion density icorrattaining about 4.45×10^(-7)A/cm^(2).Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS)measurements and X-ray diffraction(XRD)analysis confirm that the precipitate of the stable chelation formed by PDA and Zn^(2+)between CGC and HDG substrate can also improve the corrosion protection performance.Such a strategy of strengthening adhesion and forming the chelate compound at the HDG surface promises a new route to corrosion protection of CGC on HDG.

Investigation and improvement of tiny spot defects on hot-dip galvanized automotive steel sheets

The causes of tiny spot defects on the surface of hot-dip galvanized automotive steel sheets were studied using scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS),and effective control measures were introduced.The results show that rubbing against the top roller after galvanizing is easy due to the local thickness of tiny spot defect location coating;therefore,the surface morphology is different from the normal part.Three kinds of defects,namely zinc slag,small slivers,and pitting,are likely to cause local thickening of the coating after galvanizing,leading to the formation of tiny spots.Therefore,resolving the three types of defects can effectively control the generation of tiny spot defects.Among them,due to the hereditary nature of the small sliver defect,focusing on its control and supervision is necessary.

Influence of Air-Knife Wiping on Coating Thickness in Hot-Dip Galvanizing

In hot-dip galvanizing process, air jet wiping control is so crucial to decide the coating thickness and uni- formity of the zinc layer on the steel strip. The mathematical models developed predict the zinc coating thickness as a function of pressure and shear stress. The required pressure and shear stress profile on the strip surface were calcu- lated using regression analysis, and carried out using numerical simulation as FLUENT, a finite element analysis software. The influences of the outlet pressure, the nozzle to strip distance, the slot opening, the edge baffle plate, as well as the tilting angle of air knife were discussed. Combining with these results and regression analysis on the practical data, four first-order polynomial multi-parameter models were established for different targeted coating thicknesses with better regression coefficients. The validated model was used to carry out sensitivity analysis to de- termine the favorable controlling regime for the air jet wiping process.

A Study of the Influence of Air-knife Tilting on Coating Thickness in Hot-dip Galvanizing

Gas wiping is a decisive operation in hot-dip galvanizing process. In special, it has a crucial influence on the thickness and uniformity in coating film, but may be subsequently responsible for the problem of splashing. The progress of industry demands continuously the reduction of production costs which may relate directly with the increase of coating speed, and the speed up of coating results in the increase of stagnation pressure in gas wiping system in final. It is known that the increase of stagnation pressure may accompany a harmful problem of splashing in general. Together with these, also, from the view point of energy consumption, it is necessary to design a nozzle optimally. And there is known that the downward tilting of nozzle using in air knife system is effective to prevent in somewhat the harmful problem of splashing. In these connections, first, we design a nozzle with constant expansion rate. Next, for the case of actual coating conditions in field, the effects of tilting of the constant expansion rate nozzle are investigated by numerical analysis. Under the present numerical conditions, it was turned out that the nozzle of constant expansion rate of p = having a downward jet angle of 5^0 is the most effective to diminish the onset of splashing, while the influence of small tilting of the nozzle on impinging wall pres- sure itself is not so large.

Study on the Wiping Gas Jet in Continuous Galvanizing Line

In the continuous hot-dip galvanizing process, the gas-jet wiping is used to control the coating thickness of moving steel strip. The high speed gas-jet discharged from the nozzle slot impinges on the strip, and at this moment, wipes the liquid coating layer dragged by a moving strip. The coating thickness is generally influenced on the flow characteristics of wiping gas-jet such as the impinging pressure distribution, pressure gradient and shear stress distribution on the surface of strip. The flow characteristics of wiping gas-jet mentioned above depends upon considerably both the process operating conditions such as the nozzle pressure, nozzle-to-strip distance and line speed, and the geometry of gas-jet wiping apparatus such as the height of nozzle slot. In the present study, the effect of the geometry of nozzle on the coating thickness is investigated with the help of a computational fluid dynamics method. The height of nozzle slot is varied in the range of 0.6mm to 1.7mm. A finite volume method (FVM) is employed to solve two-dimensional, steady, compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Based upon the results obtained, the effect of the height of nozzle slot in the gas-jet wiping process is discussed in detail. The computational results show that for a given standoff distance between the nozzle to the strip, the effective height of nozzle slot exists in achieving thinner coating thickness.

Effect of dew point on hot-dip galvanizing behavior of a high-manganese TWIP steel for automotive application

The effect of dew points(-50,-l0 and+10℃)on the galvanizing properties of a high-manganese twinning-inducedplasticity(TWIP)steel was studied.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM),glow discharge optical emission spectrometry(GDOES)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)were used for microscopic observation and qualitative analysis of the interfacial layer between the steel surface and the zinc layer after hot-dip galvanizing.SEM analysis results show thatthree diffcrent morphologies of metallic oxides are formed on the interfacial layer under the different dew points.GDOES results show that Al is present in the molten zinc,reacting with Fe on the steel surface to form Fe2Al5,which can increasethe galvanizing properties.XPS results show that the valence states of Mn in the interfacial alloy layer are Mn'*and Mn*+,and the valence stales of Fe are Fe^0,Fe^2+and Fe^3+.The experimental results show that the hot-dip galvanizing performanceis the best at-10℃ and the formation of Mn and Fe intermetallic oxides has a bad effect on hot-dip galvanizing behaviorof the high-manganese TWIP steel.The types of the formed surface oxides(MnO,Mn3O4,Mn2O3,FeO3,and Fe2MnO4)onthe surface of the steel sheet are confirmed.It can obtain the best hot-dip galvanizing performance of the high-manganese TWIP steel by controlling the dew point from-10 to-5℃.

Hot-dip Galvanizing of Carbon Steel after Cold Rolling with Oxide Scale and Hydrogen Descaling

A new processing method for producing hot dip galvanized steel is designed and tested, in which pickling is skipped. Hot-rolled low carbon steel sheets are roiled with oxide scale in an experimental mill at room temperature, prior to annealing under a 20% hydrogen reducing atmosphere and galvanizing on a hot-dip galvanizing simulator. Micro-cracks formed in the oxide scale during cold rolling roughen the steel surface and enlarge the specific surface. Through-thickness cracks provide transport channels for hydrogen, and hence the reduction of oxide scale is en- hanced. When the sheet is dipped in the zinc bath, cracks are submerged by liquated zinc and the defects are not dis- tinct after hot-dip galvanizing. The overlay coating occludes with rough surface of the sheet, whereby a superior coat- ing adherence is realized.

Development and application of a neural network based coating weight control system for a hot-dip galvanizing line

The hot-dip galvanizing line(HDGL) is a typical order-driven discrete-event process in steelmaking. It has some complicated dynamic characteristics such as a large time-varying delay, strong nonlinearity, and unmeasured disturbance, all of which lead to the difficulty of an online coating weight controller design. We propose a novel neural network based control system to solve these problems. The proposed method has been successfully applied to a real production line at Va Lin LY Steel Co., Loudi, China. The industrial application results show the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method, including significant reductions in the variance of the coating weight and the transition time.

Electrochemistry and DFT study of galvanic interaction on the surface of monoclinic pyrrhotite(001)and galena(100)

The electrochemical interaction between galena and monoclinic pyrrhotite was investigated to examine its impact on the physical and chemical properties of the mineral micro-surface.This investigation employed techniques such as electrochemistry,metal ion stripping,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,and quantum chemistry.The electrochemical test results demonstrate that the galena surface in the electro-couple system exhibits a lower electrostatic potential and higher electrochemical activity compared to the monoclinic pyrrhotite surface,rendering it more susceptible to oxidation dissolution.Monoclinic pyrrhotite significantly amplifies the corrosion rate of the galena surface.Mulliken charge population calculations indicate that electrons are consistently transferred from galena to monoclinic pyrrhotite,with the number of electron transfers on the mineral surface increasing as the interaction distance decreases.The analysis of state density revealed a shift in the surface state density of galena towards lower energy levels,resulting in decreased reactivity and increased difficulty for the reagent to adsorb onto the mineral surface.Conversely,monoclinic pyrrhotite exhibited an opposite trend.The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)test results indicate that galvanic interaction leads to the formation of hydrophilic substances,PbS_(x)O_(y) and Pb(OH)_(2),on the surface of galena.Additionally,the surface of monoclinic pyrrhotite not only adsorbs Pb^(2+)but also undergoes S^(0) formation,thereby augmenting its hydrophobic nature.