This grain-oriented electrical steel sheet includes a base steel sheet, an intermediate layer that is formed on a surface of the base steel sheet and mainly contains silicon oxide, and an insulation coating that is formed on the surface of the intermediate layer. A number density of the oxide particles in a region from the surface of the base steel sheet to a depth of 10 μm toward an inside of the base steel sheet is 0.020 oxide particles/μm.sup.2 or less. In the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet, an area rate of an intermediate layer-remaining region n which the intermediate layer does not peel off but remains in a region in which the insulation coating peels off after a bend test performed using a mandrel according to JIS K 5600-5-1 (1999) is 20% or more.

A grain oriented electrical steel sheet includes a base steel sheet, an oxide layer, and a tension-insulation coating. When a glow discharge spectroscopy is conducted in a region from a surface of the tension-insulation coating to an inside of the base steel sheet, a sputtering time Fe.sub.0.5 at which a Fe emission intensity becomes 0.5 times as compared with a saturation value thereof and a sputtering time Fe.sub.0.05 at which a Fe emission intensity becomes 0.05 times as compared with the saturation value satisfy (Fe.sub.0.5−Fe.sub.0.05)/Fe.sub.0.5≥0.35. A maximal point of a Cr emission intensity is included between the Fe.sub.0.05 and the Fe.sub.sat. Moreover, a magnetic flux density B8 in a rolling direction of the grain oriented electrical steel sheet is 1.90 T or more.

A chromium-free aqueous treatment solution for coating metal surfaces which meets corrosion resistance, electrical contact resistance, and paint adhesion requirements set forth in MIL-DTL-81706B, Class 3. The treatment solution contains a compound of a Group IV-B element, and a vanadium ion. The solution may be inorganic and molybdate-free.

A chromium-free aqueous treatment solution for coating metal surfaces which meets corrosion resistance, electrical contact resistance, and paint adhesion requirements set forth in MIL-DTL-81706B, Class 3. The treatment solution contains a compound of a Group IV-B element, and a vanadium ion. The solution may be inorganic and molybdate-free.

A grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to the present invention includes a silicon steel sheet as a base steel sheet, and when an average value of amplitudes in a wavelength range of 20 to 100 μm among wavelength components obtained by performing Fourier analysis on a measured cross-sectional curve parallel to a sheet width direction of the silicon steel sheet is set as ave-AMP.sub.C100, ave-AMP.sub.C100 is 0.0001 to 0.050 μm.

This grain-oriented electrical steel sheet has a base steel sheet in which a final-annealed film is substantially not present on a surface, an intermediate layer that is disposed on a surface of the base steel sheet and mainly contains silicon oxide, and an insulation coating disposed on a surface of the intermediate layer. In the intermediate layer, a value obtained by dividing a standard deviation σ of a thickness of the intermediate layer by an average value T of the thickness of the intermediate layer is 0.500 or less.

An electrical steel sheet with an insulating film having excellent chromium elution resistance, even in the case where the insulating film is baked by utilizing rapid heating, which improves productivity, and a method for manufacturing the steel sheet. The insulating film contains Fe, Cr, an organic resin, and an organic reducing agent on at least one surface of an electrical steel sheet. A ratio of the Fe content to the Cr content (Fe/Cr) is 0.010 to 0.6 in terms of molar ratio in the insulating film.

An insulating coating treatment liquid for forming a chromium-free insulating coating on a surface of a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet, the insulating coating treatment liquid including at least one phosphate salt selected from phosphate salts of any of Mg, Ca, Ba, Sr, Zn, Al, and Mn and including colloidal silica and particles of a metal-element-containing compound. A content of the colloidal silica in terms of SiO.sub.2, on a solids basis, is 50 to 120 parts by mass, and a content of the particles of a metal-element-containing compound in terms of elemental metal is 5 to 60 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the at least one phosphate salt, and the insulating coating treatment liquid has a thixotropic index (TI) of 1.00 or greater and 10.00 or less.

A system and method for coating a foil mesh with a no-chrome conversion coating is provided, wherein the system includes a solution tank, wherein the solution tank defines a tank cavity for containing a conversion coating solution, wherein the conversion coating solution comprises at least one of 5% butyl benzotriazole sodium salt and 7% alodine 5200. The system further includes a reel/roller system configured to cause the foil mesh to be disposed within the conversion coating solution for a predetermine period of time.

A system and method for coating a foil mesh with a no-chrome conversion coating is provided, wherein the system includes a solution tank, wherein the solution tank defines a tank cavity for containing a conversion coating solution, wherein the conversion coating solution comprises at least one of 5% butyl benzotriazole sodium salt and 7% alodine 5200. The system further includes a reel/roller system configured to cause the foil mesh to be disposed within the conversion coating solution for a predetermine period of time.