A method of improving corrosion resistance of a metal substrate comprising a zinc surface coated with zirconium oxide conversion coating by, prior to conversion coating, contacting the zinc surface with a composition comprising: a) iron(III) ions, b) a source of hydroxide ion; c) at least one complexing agent selected from organic compounds which have at least one functional group COOX, wherein X represents either a H or an alkali and/or alkaline earth metal; d) 0.0 to about 4 g/l cobalt (II) ions; and optionally e) a source of silicate: wherein the composition has a pH of at least 10.

A method of improving corrosion resistance of a metal substrate comprising a zinc surface coated with zirconium oxide conversion coating by, prior to conversion coating, contacting the zinc surface with a composition comprising: a) iron(III) ions, b) a source of hydroxide ion; c) at least one complexing agent selected from organic compounds which have at least one functional group COOX, wherein X represents either a H or an alkali and/or alkaline earth metal; d) 0.0 to about 4 g/l cobalt (II) ions; and optionally e) a source of silicate: wherein the composition has a pH of at least 10.

Disclosed is a zirconium-based metal pretreatment coating composition that includes a metal chelator that chelates copper in the metal pretreatment coating composition and thereby improves adhesion of paints to a metal substrate coated with the pretreatment coating composition and the chelating agent is present in a sufficient amount to ensure that in the deposited pretreatment coating on the metal substrate the average total atomic % of copper to atomic % of zirconium is equal to or less than 1.1. The pretreatment coating composition is useful for treating a variety of metal substrates.

Disclosed is a zirconium-based metal pretreatment coating composition that includes a metal chelator that chelates copper in the metal pretreatment coating composition and thereby improves adhesion of paints to a metal substrate coated with the pretreatment coating composition and the chelating agent is present in a sufficient amount to ensure that in the deposited pretreatment coating on the metal substrate the average total atomic % of copper to atomic % of zirconium is equal to or less than 1.1. The pretreatment coating composition is useful for treating a variety of metal substrates.

This chemical conversion-treated steel sheet (10) has a chemical conversion treatment coating (12) upon a plating layer (17) of a steel sheet (11). The chemical conversion treatment coating (12) contains a fluororesin, a base resin which is a resin other than a fluororesin, metal flakes (13), and a chemical conversion treatment component. The content of the fluororesin in relation to the total quantity of resins is 3.0 mass % or more in terms of fluorine atoms, the content of the base resin in relation to 100 parts by mass of the fluororesin is 10 parts by mass or more, and the content of metal flakes (13) in the chemical conversion treatment coating (12) is more than 20 mass % but at most 60 mass %.

This chemical conversion-treated steel sheet (10) has a chemical conversion treatment coating (12) upon a plating layer (17) of a steel sheet (11). The chemical conversion treatment coating (12) contains a fluororesin, a base resin which is a resin other than a fluororesin, metal flakes (13), and a chemical conversion treatment component. The content of the fluororesin in relation to the total quantity of resins is 3.0 mass % or more in terms of fluorine atoms, the content of the base resin in relation to 100 parts by mass of the fluororesin is 10 parts by mass or more, and the content of metal flakes (13) in the chemical conversion treatment coating (12) is more than 20 mass % but at most 60 mass %.

Disclosed is a zirconium-based metal pretreatment coating composition that includes a metal chelator that chelates copper in the metal pretreatment coating composition and thereby improves adhesion of paints to a metal substrate coated with the pretreatment coating composition and the chelating agent is present in a sufficient amount to ensure that in the deposited pretreatment coating on the metal substrate the average total atomic % of copper to atomic % of zirconium is equal to or less than 1.1. The pretreatment coating composition is useful for treating a variety of metal substrates.

A method of improving corrosion resistance of a metal substrate comprising a zinc surface coated with zirconium oxide conversion coating by, prior to conversion coating, contacting the zinc surface with a composition comprising: a) iron(III) ions, b) a source of hydroxide ion; c) at least one complexing agent selected from organic compounds which have at least one functional group COOX, wherein X represents either a H or an alkali and/or alkaline earth metal; d) 0.0 to about 4 g/l cobalt (II) ions; and optionally e) a source of silicate: wherein the composition has a pH of at least 10.

A method of improving corrosion resistance of a metal substrate comprising a zinc surface coated with zirconium oxide conversion coating by, prior to conversion coating, contacting the zinc surface with a composition comprising: a) iron(III) ions, b) a source of hydroxide ion; c) at least one complexing agent selected from organic compounds which have at least one functional group COOX, wherein X represents either a H or an alkali and/or alkaline earth metal; d) 0.0 to about 4 g/l cobalt (II) ions; and optionally e) a source of silicate: wherein the composition has a pH of at least 10.

A method of activating a metal surface, such as a galvanized steel sheet, before a phosphating process, may involve bringing the metal surface into contact with an activating bath containing activating particles, which may be based on phosphate and/or titanium, dispersed in water. To alleviate or even eliminate the problems of poor adhesion of surface coatings to preferably electrolytically galvanized, phosphated metal strip, an additive that suppresses or at least slows agglomeration of the activating particles may be added to the activating bath. In some examples, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and/or sodium stearate may be added. Further, the particle size distribution of the activating particles present in the activating bath may be determined and the activating bath may be replaced or taken out of operation as a function of the particle size distribution of the activating particles.