ToF-SIMS characterization of a bare-spot defect in a hot-dip galvanized boron-added steel sheet

To determine the root cause of a bare-spot defect in a hot-dip galvanized boron-added steel sheet,we performed metallurgical characterizations using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry(ToF-SIMS)in addition to glow discharge optical emission spectrometry,field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM),and energy dispersive spectroscopy.Mn and B enrichments on the steel surface in the bare-spot area were detected through various methods.FE-SEM revealed external oxide nodules and zinc droplets,which indicated poor wettability.ToF-SIMS further revealed considerably more detailed lateral and depth distributions of Mn,B,and Al.The formation of external Mn-B compound oxides on the steel surface prior to hot dipping,which substantially deteriorated the wettability and prevented the formation of a Fe_(2)Al_(5)inhibition layer,resulted in the formation of a bare-spot defect.ToF-SIMS mapping of Al ion proved that a slight reaction still occurred between the dissolved Al in the molten zinc bath and steel substrate,although no evident Fe_(2)Al_(5)inhibition layer formed in the bare-spot area.

Effect of laser power on microstructure and mechanical properties of laser heat conduction lap welded joint between AZ31B magnesium alloy and DP780 galvanized steel

In this work, laser heat conduction lap welding(LHCLW) of AZ31B magnesium alloy sheet and DP780galvanized steel sheet was carried out by the defocused laser beam. The effects of laser power on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joint were studied. The pros and cons of the joint were identified and evaluated by measuring the tensile shear strength, microhardness and microstructure observation. The formation mechanism of various phases at the Mg/steel interface was analyzed. The results indicated that the galvanized layer could promote the metallurgical bonding between magnesium alloy and steel by improving the diffusion ability of molten magnesium alloy at the steel interface and reacting with Mg, so as to enhance the strength of the joint. A continuous dense layered eutectic structure(α-Mg+MgZn) was formed at the interface of the joint, while MgZn_(2)and MgZn phase was formed at the weld edge zone and heat affective zone(HAZ), whereas no reaction layer was generated between the uncoated steel and magnesium alloy. A sound joint could be obtained at 2.5 kW, and the corresponding tensile shear strength reached the maximum value of 42.9 N/mm. The strength was slightly reduced at 2.6 kW due to the existence of microcracks in the eutectic reaction layer.

Rare earth and silane as chromate replacers for corrosion protection on galvanized steel

The present work aimed at using rare earth lanthanum salt and trimethoxy（viny）silance as chromate substitutes for galvanized steel passivation, in contrast to zinc coating samples treated with chromate.The corrosion resistance was assessed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） and neutral salt spray tests（NSS）.Scanning electron microscopy（SEM） was used to characterize the sample surfaces.The organic coating adhesion on the panel was also investigated via varnishes-cross cut tests.The results indicated that rare earth and silane two-step treatment gave more effective anticorrosion performance than Cr, which also provided good paint adhesion.The coating formation mechanism was also discussed.

Post treatment of silane and cerium salt as chromate replacers on galvanized steel

A complex film on hot-dip galvanized steel sheet（HDG） was prepared by immersing the sheet in 0.1wt.% Ce（NO3）3 solution and 5vol.% silane solution in turn.The corrosion protection of the complex film was evaluated by potentiodynamic linear polarization（LPR）, electrochemical impendence spectra（EIS） and natural salt spray（NSS） tests and compared with that of single cerium film and silane film.The results showed that, the presence of these films on the zinc coating hindered corrosion reaction by reducing the rate of both anodic and cathodic reaction in the corrosion process, and the corrosion protection of the complex film was much better than that of single cerium film or silane film and closed to that of chromate film, because the polarization resistance Rp and electrochemical impendence were increased markedly.Microstructure and chemical composition of these pretreated films were also investigated by scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and AES.

Cerium-tannic acid passivation treatment on galvanized steel

A novel cerium-tannic acid passivation treatment was performed on galvanized steel. The corrosion resistance of cerium-tannic passivated samples was tested by dropping test with 0.5 wt.% CuSO4 aqueous solution. The mass loss per unit area of passivated samples was measured after the corrosion in 0.5 mol/L NaCl ＋ 0.005 mol/L H2SO4 at room temperature for 96 h. The electrochemical behaviors of cerium, tannic acid, and cerium-tannic acid passivated samples on galvanized steel in 0.5 mol/L NaCl solution were investigated by polarization curves and electrochemical impendence spectra. The corrosion equivalent circuit was established according to the impedance characteristics. The results show that cerium-tannic acid treated samples exhibit better corrosion resistance than the sole cerium or tannic acid treated samples under the same condition. The mechanism of synergistic effect for cerium-tannic acid passivation on galvanized steel was discussed.

Corrosion behavior and mechanism of the automotive hot-dip galvanized steel with alkaline mud adhesion

The corrosion behavior and mechanism of hot-dip galvanized steel and interstitial-free （IF） substrate with alkaline mud adhesion were investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）, and linear polarization. The results show that non-uniform corrosion occurs on the galvanized steel and IF substrate during 250 h with the mud adhesion. The corrosion products on the galvanized steel are very loose and porous, which are mainly ZnO, Zn5（OH）8C12·H2O and Zn（OH）2, and Fe-Zn alloy layer with a lower corrosion rate is exposed on the galvanized steel surface; however, the corrosion products on IF substrate are considerably harder and denser, whose compositions of rust are mainly FeOOH and Fe3O4, and several pits appear on their surface. The results of continuous EIS and linear polarization measurements exhibit a corrosion mechanism, that is, under activation control, the charge transfer resistances present different tendencies between the galvanized steel and IF substrate; in addition, the evolution of linear polarization resistances is similar to that of charge transfer resistances. The higher contents of dissolved oxygen and Cl^- ions in the mud play an important role in accelerating the corrosion.

Investigation of Surface Damage in Forming of High Strength and Galvanized Steel Sheets

Powdering/exfoliating of coatings and scratching galvanized steels and high strength steels （HSS）, are the main forms of surface damage in the forming of which result in increased die maintenance cost and scrap rate. In this study, a special rectangular box was developed to investigate the behavior and characteristics of surface damage in sheet metal forming （SMF） processes. U-channel forming tests were conducted to study the effect of tool hardness on surface damage in the forming of high strength steels and galvanized steels （hot-dip galvanized and galvannealed steels）. Experimental results indicate that sheet deformation mode influences the severity of surface damage in SMF and surface damage occurs easily at the regions where sheet specimen deforms under the action of compressive stress. Die corner is the position where surface damage initiates. For HSS sheet, surface damage is of major interest due to high forming pressure. The HSS and hot-dip galvanized steels show improved ability of damage-resistance with increased hardness of the forming tool. However, for galvannealed steel it is not the forming tool with the highest hardness value that performs best.

Composition and Performance of the Composite Coatings Obtained by Phosphating and Cerium Nitrate Post-Sealing on Galvanized Steel

To improve the corrosion resistance of phosphate coatings, the phosphated hot-dip galvanized (HDG) steel was post-sealed with cerium nitrate solution. The morphology, composition, corrosion resistance of the coatings was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and neutral salt spray (NSS) tests. The results show that after post-sealing the phosphated HDG samples with cerium nitrate solution, the pores among the zinc phosphate crystals are sealed by the compounds containing phosphorus, oxygen and cerium; the zinc phosphate crystals are covered by the flocculent cerium compounds; and the continuous composite coatings are formed on HDG steel. The corrosion resistance of the composite coatings, which increases with the increase in phosphating time and cerium nitrate post-sealing time, is far higher than that of the single phosphate coatings. The composite coatings with the optimal corrosion resistance are obtained for phosphating 300 s and post-sealing 300 s; and the corrosion resistance is more outstanding than that of the chromate coatings.

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.

CO_2 laser-micro plasma arc hybrid welding for galvanized steel sheets

A laser lap welding process for zinc-coated steel has a well-known unsolved problem-porosity formation. The boiling temperature of coated zinc is lower than the melting temperature of the base metal, which is steel. In the autogenous laser welding, the zinc vapor generates from the lapped surfaces expels the molten pool and the expulsion causes numerous weld defects, such as spatters and blow holes on the weld surface and porosity inside the welds. The laser-arc hybrid welding was suggested as an alternative method for the laser lap welding because the arc can preheat or post-beat the weldment according to the arrangement of the laser beam and the arc. CO2 laser-micro plasma hybrid welding was applied to the lap welding of zinc-coated steel with zero-gap. The relationships among the weld quality and process parameters of the laser-arc arrangement, and the laser-arc interspacing distance and arc current were investigated using a full-factorial experimental design. The effect of laser-arc arrangement is dominant because the leading plasma arc partially melts the upper steel sheets and vaporizes or oxidizes the coated zinc on the lapped surfaces. Compared with the result from the laser-TIG hybrid welding, the heat input from arc can be reduced by 40%.

Study on resistance spot brazing process and joint performance of pure aluminum 1060/galvanized steel

Resistance spot brazing was used to perform the lap test of pure aluminum 1060 and SGCC hot-dip galvanized steel plate,the joint interface structure was studied,and the mechanical properties of the joint were tested.The results show that the aluminum-silicon(Al-Si)alloy solder used in the test has good wetting,and an intermetallic compound with a double-layer structure and uneven thickness is produced at the welded joint interface after welding.The thickness is<10μm.The welding current is at 7.8 kA,the tensile shear load of the joint reaches a peak value of about 4.72 kN.Under the same process parameters,the tensile shear load of the resistance spot brazed joint is significantly higher than that of the spot welded joint.The joint fracture mostly occurs on the aluminum plate side,and mainly at the heat-affected zone and not at the welding point.It indicates that the quality of the spot brazed joint is good,but due to the local"unbrazed"defect on the aluminum side interface of the weld,tensile stress will occur at the weld interface and the stress effect on the intermetallic compound.It is easy to produce cracks.

Laser brazing with filler wire for galvanized steel sheets

The process properties and interface behavior of CO_2 laser brazing with automatic wire feed for galvanized steel sheets were investigated, in which the brazing filler metal was CuSi3 and no flux was used. As to the appearance quality of the brazing seams, the roles of the processing parameters, such as brazing speed, wire feeding rate, inclination and feeding direction of the wire, laser power, spot diameter and heating position, were assessed. The further investigation indicates that the behavior of the active elements Si, Mn and Zn are significantly influenced by energy input. At the interface, the microstructure of the base metal was composed of columnar crystals and the acicular α solid solution was found on the filler metal side.

Chrome free surface treatments for galvanized steels—present and future

As the galvanized steels used for electrical and office appliances has achieved a complete chrome-free production worldwide,surface treatment technologies have entered a new phase of development.Grenter effort will be made in exploring new frontier for future surface treatment technologies.A greater contribution will be made for environmental protection,energy-saving and resource-saving,to prevent globalwarming.

Effect of surface roughness on the surface lubrication performance of galvanized steel sheets with a self-lubricated coating

Four kinds of galvanized steel sheets having different surface roughness values were used to prepare the steel sheets with a self-lubricated coating. The effects of surface roughness on the surface lubrication performance of the steel sheets were examined using a friction coefficient tester. Results revealed large dynamic friction coefficients for the galvanized steel sheets, which increased remarkably with surface roughness. Once the self-lubricated coating was applied, significant drops in the dynamic friction coefficients were measured. After the first stage of the friction test,the coefficients were almost unchanged, which reflected a weak dependence on the surface roughness of the self-lubricated steel sheets. However, the dynamic friction coefficients gradually increased as the test progressed, where these increase clearly correlated with the surface roughness of the self-lubricated steel sheets.

Effect of silicate pretreatment, post-sealing and additives on corrosion resistance of phosphated galvanized steel

Sodium silicate (water glass) pretreatment before phosphating, silicate post-sealing after phosphating and adding silicate to a traditional phosphating solution were respectively carried out to obtain the improved phosphate coatings with high corrosion resistance and coverage on hot-dip galvanized(HDG) steel. The corrosion resistance, morphology and chemical composition of the coatings were investigated using neutral salt spray(NSS) tests, scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS). The results show that pretreatment HDG steel with silicate solutions, phosphate coatings with finer crystals and higher coverage are formed and the corrosion resistance is enhanced. Adding silicate to a traditional phosphating solution, the surface morphology of the coatings is nearly unchanged. The corrosion resistance of the coatings is mainly dependent on phosphating time. Phosphating for a longer time (such as 5 min), the corrosion resistance, increasing with concentration of silicate, is improved significantly. Post-sealing the phosphated HDG steel with silicate solutions, the pores among the zinc phosphate crystals are sealed with the films containing Si, P, O and Zn and the continuous composite coatings are formed. The corrosion resistance of the composite coatings, related to the pH value, contents of hydrated gel of silica and Si 2O52?and post-sealing time, is increased markedly. The improved coatings with optimal corrosion resistance are obtained for phosphating 5 min and post-sealing with 5 g/L silicate solution for 10 min.

Life Cycle Assessment of CCA-Treated Wood Highway Guard Rail Posts in the US with Comparisons to Galvanized Steel Guard Rail Posts

A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment is done to identify the environmental impacts of chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated timber used for highway guard rail posts, to understand the processes that contribute to the total impacts, and to determine how the impacts compare to the primary alternative product, galvanized steel posts. Guard rail posts are the supporting structures for highway guard rails. Transportation engineers, as well as public and regulatory interests, have increasing need to understand the environmental implications of guard rail post selection, in addition to factors such as costs and service performance. This study uses a life cycle inventory (LCI) to catalogue the input and output data from guard rail post manufacture, service life, and disposition, and a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) to assess anthropogenic and net greenhouse gas (GHG), acidification, smog, ecotoxicity, and eutrophication potentially resulting from life cycle air emissions. Other indicators of interest also are tracked, such as fossil fuel and water use. Comparisons of guard rail post products are made at a functional unit of one post per year of service. This life cycle assessment (LCA) finds that the manufacture, use, and disposition of CCA-treated wood guard rails offers lower fossil fuel use and lower anthropogenic and net GHG emissions, acidification, smog potential, and ecotoxicity environmental impacts than impact indicator values for galvanized steel posts. Water use and eutrophication impact indicator values for CCA-treated guard rail posts are greater than impact indicator values for galvanized steel guard rail posts.

A Three-Dimensional Numerical Model for Predicting the Weld Bead Geometry Characteristics in Laser Overlap Welding of Low Carbon Galvanized Steel

Laser welding (LW) becomes one of the most economical high quality joining processes. LW offers the advantage of very controlled heat input resulting in low distortion and the ability to weld heat sensitive components. To exploit efficiently the benefits presented by LW, it is necessary to develop an integrated approach to identify and control the welding process variables in order to produce the desired weld characteristics without being forced to use the traditional and fastidious trial and error procedures. The paper presents a study of weld bead geometry characteristics prediction for laser overlap welding of low carbon galvanized steel using 3D numerical modelling and experimental validation. The temperature dependent material properties, metallurgical transformations and enthalpy method constitute the foundation of the proposed modelling approach. An adaptive 3D heat source is adopted to simulate both keyhole and conduction mode of the LW process. The simulations are performed using 3D finite element model on commercial software. The model is used to estimate the weld bead geometry characteristics for various LW parameters, such as laser power, welding speed and laser beam diameter. The calibration and validation of the 3D numerical model are based on experimental data achieved using a 3 kW Nd:Yag laser system, a structured experimental design and confirmed statistical analysis tools. The results reveal that the modelling approach can provide not only a consistent and accurate prediction of the weld characteristics under variable welding parameters and conditions but also a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of process parameters effects on the weld quality. The results show great concordance between predicted and measured values for weld bead geometry characteristics, such as depth of penetration, bead width at the top surface and bead width at the interface between sheets, with an average accuracy greater than 95%.

Surface topography evolvement of galvanized steels in sheet metal forming

U-channel forming tests were performed to investigate the surface topography evolvement of hot-dip galvanized(GI) and galvannealed(GA) steels and the effects of die hardness on sheet metal forming(SMF). Experimental results indicate that the surface roughness values of the two galvanized steels increase with the number of forming,i.e.,the surface topographies of galvanized steels are roughened in SMF. Moreover,GI steel has a better ability of damage-resistance than GA steel. The mechanisms of topography evolvement are different in the forming of GI and GA steels. Scratch is the main form of surface damage in the forming of GI steels. The severity of scratch can be decreased by increasing die hardness. GA steel results in exfoliating of the coating firstly and then severe scratching. The surface topography of galvannealed steels can be improved by increasing die hardness. However,the hardness should not be too high.

Effect of Variable Blank Holder Force on Rectangular Box Drawing Process of Hot-galvanized Sheet Steel

At first, a series of finite element method （FEM） simulation tests were used to find the critical forming conditions of hot-galvanized sheet steel during the rectangular box drawing processing when constant blank holder forces were applied. According the test results, the reasonable alteration scope of initial variable blank holder force （VBHF） was as 1.9-2.3 T. Then, based on the test productions of blank holder force, 12 typical VBHF curves were applied to perform the simulation tests by the simulation software of DYNAFORM. The simulation test results showed that VBHF had great effects on drawing formability of hot-galvanized sheet steel during the rectangular box drawing. However, the different VBHF curves were applied to control the whole drawing and it would get great different effects. At the same tine, the VBHF had great effects on the maximum thick thinning ratio, but had little effect on the maximum thick incrassation ratio. So, reasonable application of the VBHF would greatly decrease the fractures. When the VBHF profile is taken as curve L, the best effect of drawing formability could be obtained. When curve I is used, contrary effect could be gotten. The other types of curves would cause effects between above two types of VBHF curves. Finally, the actual tests were applied to check the validity of the FEM simulation tests. The results show that the FEM simulation tests are good ways for predicting and optimizing the VBHF.

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.