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.

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.

Effect of the Chord-Brace Angle on the Strength of Rectangular Hollow Sections K- and N-Joints in Galvanized Structures

An important consideration when using hot-dip galvanized tubular structures is the uncertainty of the joint behaviour due to the possible reduction in the global joint resistance produced by the vent holes required for the galvanizing process. This paper assesses the effect on the joint strength of the angle between the brace members and the chord in a K- or N-joints made with rectangular hollow sections. The study is focused on the case when those brace members include characteristic holes required for the hot-dip galvanizing process. To accomplish the objective of the proposed work, some tests on full-scale K- and N-joints, including angles of 35°, 45°, 55° and 90°, were carried out. The experimental work was complemented by a validated numerical simulation in order to give some design recommendations and to extend the research to other joint configurations.

Interfacial structure and joint strengthening in arc brazed galvanized steels with copper based filler

Galvanized steel sheets were joined by tungsten inert gas(TIG) and metal inert gas(MIG) brazing process using copper based filler. The results show that the joint zone hardness is higher than that of the base material or copper filler from the microhardness tests of TIG brazing specimens, and the fracture spot is at the base materials zone from the tensile tests of MIG brazing specimens. Examination using energy dispersive X-ray analysis reveals the presence of intermetallic compound Fe5Si3(Cu) in the joint. The dispersal of fine Fe5Si3(Cu) particles is the main strengthening factor for the joint. The Fe5Si3(Cu) particles are determined to arise from three sources, namely, spot micro-melt, whisker-like fragmentation and dissolve-separation actions.

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.

The Influence of Al on the Surface Properties of the Hot-dip Galvanized Melt

Wettability of Zn-Al alloy melt on the pure iron substrate at 450℃was studied.The effect of Al content(Zn,Zn-1Al,Zn-2Al,Zn-3Al,Zn-4Al,and Zn-5Al)on the wetting behavior and interfacial reaction was investigated by high-temperature contact angle measuring device and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The results show that,with the increase of Al content,the initial contact angle of the molten alloy on the substrate decreases gradually and the wettability increases gradually.Compared with the initial contact angle,the final contact angle is slightly reduced,because the Fe-Al inhibition layer is preferentially formed at the interface when adding Al to the alloy.The presence of Al will promote the occurrence of the reactive wetting,leading to an insignificant wetting spreading process,and the final contact angle negligibly differs from the initial contact angle.The adhesion work and charge density distributions of interface systems were calculated based on the first-principles.The results show that the adhesion work of the Fe/Zn and Fe/(Zn-Al)interface model is 2.0171 J/m^(2)and 13.7944 J/m^(2),respectively.The addition of Al greatly increases the adhesion work between alloy melt and iron substrate.Compared with the Zn-Fe and Al-Fe interface models,it can be seen that a significant charge migration phenomenon occurs between the interfaces.The amount of charge migration in the Al-Fe interface model is much larger than that in the Zn-Fe interface model,indicating that the bonding between Al-Fe atoms can occur more easily and the interaction between Al-Fe interfaces is stronger.This is also the reason why the addition of Al increases the adhesion work between interfaces.

Hot-Dip Galvanized Sheet Production and Application

Hot-dip galvanized sheet is wildly used in construction,household appliances,ship,vehicle and vessel building and machinery,etc.In last ten years,with the development of automobile industry,the anti-eorrosion requirements for car body are increasingly strict,by which the rapid development in technology has been promoted.The application of hot-dip galvanized sheet,technological progress in production and some Chinese large units were introduced.

Analysis of causes and influence factors of small black spot defects in hot-dip galvanized pure Zn products

In this study,the factors affecting the formation of small black spot defects on the surface of a hot-dip galvanized pure zinc strip are analyzed. These defects are primarily formed w hen the iron-aluminum inhibition layer is incompletely formed or fails to form or when foreign matter adheres to the surface or embeds in the zinc layer.The defects can be reduced by controlling the cleanliness and activity of the strip base before coating,regulating the zinc pot process parameters,and ensuring the cleanliness of the passline and workshop.

Development of Cr-free anti-fingerprint hot-dip galvanized sheet for household appliances

China has become the maximum household appliances manufacturing base worldwide.It is a new challenge facing the steel industry to develop the low-cost and environment-friendly sheet for household appliance industry,so Cr-free anti-fingerprint hot-dip galvanized sheet for household appliances is the upgraded product which satisfies the requirement of China household appliance industry' s nuisanceless treatment.The paper discusses the technical key points of development on Cr-free anti-fingerprint galvanized sheet for household appliances,including the development of the Cr-free anti-fingerprint chemical and the production technology of Cr-free anti-fingerprint galvanized sheet for household appliances.The paper elaborates the main compositions,physical features and properties of the Cr-free anti-fingerprint chemical, surface quality control technology,anti-fingerprint coating quality control technology,influence of anti-fingerprint film weight on corrosion resistance,conductibility,high-temperature discolouration resistance,acid resistance,alkaline resistance and solvent resistance of Cr-free anti-fingerprint hot-dip galvanized sheet, influence of anti-fingerprint coating uniformity on paintability of the sheet,influence of strip surface roughness on corrosion resistance and conductivity of the sheet and influence of strip surface quality on corrosion resistance of the sheet.Adopting the suitable Cr-free anti-fingerprint chemical and the reasonable production process parameters,the properties of the Cr-free anti-fingerprint hot-dip galvanized sheet conform to the delivery technical norms and the Cr-free anti-fingerprint hot-dip galvanized sheet becomes the new material for household appliances such as computer case.

Evolution of appearance profile of hot-dip galvanized car-body steel sheet during deformation process

In recent years, the waterborne free intermediate coating process has been widely used in the automotive industry. Because the baking times and coating thickness are decreased, the surface covering capability of the painting process is reduced, which directly affects the appearance quality（ long-and short-wave values） of the body paint. Thus, there are correspondingly higher requirements for the white body surface profile prior to painting. The surface profile of the white body is mainly affected by the plate material, the surface profile, and the deformation process. So,the change rule for the surface profile during deformation of the steel plate is a key factor in coating appearance optimization. In this paper, we first analyze the typical deformation of the outer cover of a car body. Then ,we examine the change tendency of the surface profile of steel plates with respect to different deformation rates, specifically for a steel plate comprising a hot-dip galvanized bake-hardened steel sheet. Based on our analysis of the influence of the deformation on the coating appearance,we selected 3% ,5% ,and 8% deformation rates in this research. We found the roughness （Ra） value in the typical deformation range （3% -8% ） of the car body to exhibit a decreasing trend at first and then an increasing trend. The Ra value of the 8% deformation is not more than the original plate test value. When the Pc value of the original plate is in the lower range （ about 60）, it exhibits a slight increasing trend in the deformation process （3 % -8 % ）. And when the Pc value of the original plate is in the higher range （ about 120 ）, it exhibits no increasing trend in the deformation process （ 3% -8% ）. In contrast,the waviness （WCA） value in the car body＇s typical deformation range （3%-8%） shows a significant growth trend.

Lead and Cadmium Distribution in Tubes of Galvanized Steel by Hot-Dip Used for Drinking Water Supply

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the presence of lead and cadmium in galvanized steel tubes by hot-dip used exclusively for drinking water supply.In this research,samples of galvanized tubes were removed from walls of residential buildings with 30 years of use.In the process of hot galvanizing,the manufacturing standards allow or for low cost conveniences,and the use of primary zinc ingot with 1.6%metallic impurities,such as lead and cadmium,is allowed,enabling the incorporation of these metals into the zinc coating deposited on the carbon steel.The associated corrosion of these tubes can release these toxic metals,contaminating the drinking water used by residents.The samples taken from the tubes were evaluated by a square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry technique,and the results for lead and cadmium suggested randomly distributed levels,indicating that the contents of these contaminants depend mainly on the quality of the added primary zinc and the operational conditions of the immersion bath.The metallographic evaluations performed on the samples of the galvanized tubes showed irregularities in thickness and even a lack of the zinc layer deposited on the carbon steel surface.These facts suggest that galvanized tubes should not be used for drinking water.

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.

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.

Influence of Ni-electrodeposited Pretreatment on Galvanized Coatings of Reactive Steels

Four types of steel sheets containing 0.04%, 0.09%, 0. 14% and 0.36% Si, respectively, were electrodeposited with a nickel layer of 3 tam in thickness and then galvanized in molten Zn at 450℃ for various periods of time. The formation and growth of intermetallic compound layers on the surface of the samples were investigated by SEM and EDS. The experimental results show that the method of Ni-electrodeposited pretreatment can distinctively restrain the over-growth of the galvanized coatings of reactive steels and get eligible coatings with a proper thickness, bright appearance and strong adherence. EDS results indicate that a series of Ni-Zn intermetallic compounds γ′, γ and δ, are first formed on the surface of the samples. With a prolonged immersion time, the F2-Fe-Zn-Ni and δ-Fe-Zn are formed accompanied by the gradual disappearance of γ′, γ and δ2 layer. After a longer immersion time, the lumpy ζ- Fe-Zn occurs between δ and liquid Zn and the F-Fe-Zn does between steel substrate and δ. Subsequently, ζ is in the form of a continuous and compact layer. The method of Ni-electrodeposited pretreatment changes the formation of Fe-Zn intermetallic compounds, which delay the growth of lumpy （and promote the growth of compact δ. Consequently, the abnormal growth of reactive steels is eliminated.

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.

Facile Synthesis of Micro/Nano Binary Dendritic Gold Structures for SERS and Superhydrophobic Applications

Via a galvanic displacement reaction, well-defined micro/nano binary dendritic gold structures were prepared on silicon wafers in fluoride acid solution containing HAuCI4 at 50 ℃. The gold deposits were characterized with scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy-dispersive X-ray （EDX） spectrum and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The investigation of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering （SERS） reveals that the film of gold dendrites was an excellent substrate with significant enhancement effect. Also, the gold dendritic structured surface exhibited a remarkable superhydrophobic property with a contact angle of approximately 165° and low contact angle hysteresis after further simple surface modification with n-dodecanethiol.

Improvement the Corrosion Resistance for the Galvanized Steel by Adding Sn

The chemical composition of the zinc bath can strongly influence on the hot-dip galvanized coatings. In this work, the effects of tin addition on the surface morphology, and the corrosion resistance of hot-dip galvanized steel were investigated. The corrosion behavior of steel samples galvanized with zinc and Zn-Sn alloys containing different wt% Sn was analyzed by various corrosion tests such as potentiodynamic polarization Tafel lines and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Salt spray test was employed in order to study the corrosion products of the specimens. Surface morphology, the composition of coating layers and nature of the corrosion products were also investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, respectively. The results indicated that the addition of small amounts of Sn (0.1 wt%) to the molten zinc galvanizing bath can improve the corrosion resistance of hot-dip galvanized steel.

Microstructure of Hot-Dip Galvanized Zn-Al-Mg Alloy Coating

The microstructure of hot-dip galvanized Zn-ll%A1-3%Mg-0.270Si alloy coating was studied in this article. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the coating is composed by Zn, A1 and MgZn2 phase. Optical microscope （OM） and scanning electron microscope （SEM） observations showed the coating is occupied by snowflake-like dendrite, double hexagonal organization and eutectic. The coating backbone was the dendrite considered to be a phase of hexagonal close-packed （HCP） structure judging form its morphology according to the crystal growth way in the coating. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS） researches on the dendrite suggested that an intermediate Zn-A1 phase was formed at high temperature, then decomposed into a type of Zn-A1 granular eutectoid after cooling down to room temperature, while the eutectoid Zn and A1 had a certain crystallographic relationship. The coating solidification process and the grain crystal structure were discussed.

Relationship between La and Ce additions on microstructure and corrosion resistance of hot-dip galvanized steel

Scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,a neutral salt spray test,and electrochemical methods were applied to observe the microstructure and test the corrosion resistance of hot-dip galvanized steel before and after the addition of La and Ce.La/Ce mixture existed in the form of(La,Ce)Zn13 on the coated surface,decreased the coating thickness and accelerated the zinc dendritic growth.The corrosion current density of Zn-0.1La-0.1Ce coating was 63%less than that of pure Zn coating.This phenomenon can be explained that La/Ce mixture inhibited the transformation of Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O into Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 or ZnO,reduced the time for appearance of red rust,and thus enhanced the stability of corrosion products and delayed the oxidation and corrosion processes of galvanized coating.La/Ce mixture improved the corrosion resistance compared to a single La or a single Ce addition.A competitive relationship between La and Ce was observed in the corrosion resistance improvement of hot-dip galvanized steel.

合金化热镀锌镀层的相结构及其各相的耐蚀性

合金化镀锌(GA)镀层具有复杂的多相结构。为了表征GA镀层中的相分布,通过扫描电镜(SEM)和透射电镜(TEM)观察镀层的形貌,通过辉光放电光谱(GDS)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和X射线衍射(XRD)分析镀层的厚度、元素分布和物相结构,并采用恒电流极化对镀层进行了剥离,研究了镀层中不同相的电化学性能。结果表明:GA镀层由多相组成,从上往下依次为ζ相、δ相、Γ1相、Γ相,随着镀层厚度的增加铁含量增大;ζ相、δ相具有较好的耐蚀性,且ζ相和δ相之间的电位差较小,其电偶腐蚀作用较小,当δ相腐蚀消耗完全后,Γ1相、Γ相和基体才会发生腐蚀,其中Γ相的自腐蚀电位较负,先发生腐蚀。因此,δ相应保持均匀和厚实,以保护基体免受腐蚀。