A novel method of blackening surgical needles is disclosed. Surgical needles having outer surfaces are first placed into a first pretreatment bath having a novel composition. The needles are then placed into a second blackening bath having a novel composition for a sufficient period of time to effectively blacken the surfaces of the needles. The novel methods for blackening the surfaces of a stainless steel alloy surgical needle provide a chromium (VI)-free alternative to current needle manufacturing processes. Another unique feature of this novel method is its short processing time. The blackening processes of the present invention can be utilized for in-line treatment processes which can be easily incorporated into high speed needle manufacturing processes, such as strip mounted processes. In addition, the processes of the present invention are readily adaptable to batch processes. Also disclosed are novel systems for blackening surgical needles and novel blackening baths for surgical needles.

A corrosion inhibition package for use with an aqueous acid composition, said package comprising: a terpene; a cinnamaldehyde or a derivative thereof; at least one amphoteric surfactant; and a solvent. Also disclosed are compositions comprising said corrosion inhibitor package. Preferably, the corrosion inhibition package meets the environmental requirements for classification as yellow according to the Norwegian North Sea offshore drilling regulatory requirements.

An inhibition corrosion package for use with an acidic composition, where the package comprises a terpene component; a propargyl alcohol or derivative thereof; at least one amphoteric surfactant; and a solvent. Also disclosed are acidic compositions combining the corrosion inhibition package according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for use in various industrial operations including but not limited to oil and gas operations. Also disclosed are methods of use of such compositions.

An inhibition corrosion package for use with an acidic composition, where the package comprises a terpene component; a propargyl alcohol or derivative thereof; at least one amphoteric surfactant; and a solvent. Also disclosed are acidic compositions combining the corrosion inhibition package according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for use in various industrial operations including but not limited to oil and gas operations. Also disclosed are methods of use of such compositions.

Disclosed are an ionic liquid for pickling a stainless steel capable of rapidly removing oxide scale from the stainless steel at room temperature without using nitric acid or hydrofluoric acid and a method for pickling a stainless steel by using the same. The method for pickling a stainless steel according to an embodiment includes performing electrolytic pickling treatment by immersing a stainless steel in a pickling solution including an ionic liquid, wherein the ionic liquid comprises at least one of an imidazolium cation, a betainium cation, a sulfonium cation, a piperidinium cation, a phosphonium cation, an ammonium cation, a pyridium cation, a pyrrolidinium cation, and a morpholinium cation, as a cationic functional group, and at least one of a halide anion, a sulfonate anion, an alkylsulfate anion, a phosphinate anion, a salicylate anion, a nitrate anion, a tetrafluoroborate anion, a hexafluorophosphate anion, and a bistriflimide anion, as an anionic functional group.

Provided is a technique that can produce a hot dip Zn—Al—Mg-based alloy coated steel product with a good plating appearance, without the need for heating of a steel product prior to immersion in a hot dip plating bath. Flux (11) for hot dip Zn—Al—Mg-based alloy plating contains: ZnCl.sub.2; and a low-reactive chloride which has low reactivity with respect to Mg in a plating bath and contains at least two chlorides selected from the compound group consisting of alkali metal chlorides and alkaline-earth metal chlorides, and a composition of the ZnCl.sub.2 and the low-reactive chloride is adjusted so that a liquidus temperature of the flux is 450° C. or lower.

This hot-rolled steel sheet has a predetermined chemical composition, in which in a case where the thickness is denoted by t, a metallographic structure at a t/4 position from the surface includes, by area fraction, 77.0% to 97.0% of bainite or tempered martensite, 0% to 5.0% of ferrite, 0% to 5.0% of pearlite, 3.0% or more of residual austenite, and 0% to 10.0% of martensite, in the metallographic structure, the average grain size excluding the residual austenite is 7.0 μm or less, the average number density of iron-based carbides having a diameter of 20 nm or more is 1.0×10.sup.6 carbides/mm.sup.2 or more, a tensile strength is 980 MPa or more, and an average Ni concentration on the surface is 7.0% or more.

This hot-rolled steel sheet has a predetermined chemical composition, in which in a case where the thickness is denoted by t, a metallographic structure at a t/4 position from the surface includes, by area fraction, 77.0% to 97.0% of bainite or tempered martensite, 0% to 5.0% of ferrite, 0% to 5.0% of pearlite, 3.0% or more of residual austenite, and 0% to 10.0% of martensite, in the metallographic structure, the average grain size excluding the residual austenite is 7.0 μm or less, the average number density of iron-based carbides having a diameter of 20 nm or more is 1.0×10.sup.6 carbides/mm.sup.2 or more, a tensile strength is 980 MPa or more, and an average Ni concentration on the surface is 7.0% or more.

The invention concerns a continuous pickling plant (101) for the treatment of metal products (109) in the form of a strip or tube which includes a plurality of acid solution process tanks (102) each divided into a plurality of turbulence cells (114) and a recirculation system of the acid solution. The plant also includes, upstream of the plurality of process tanks (102), a device for heating (124; 126) the metal product (109), namely an induction heating (124) system and/or a tunnel with water sprays (126). A solution with only two pickling tanks (102) is also presented. Devices are described (135; 136; 138, 138a) to increase turbulence in the tanks and to accelerate pickling, e.g. by adding fresh acid (146) in the first tank. The invention also concerns a related pickling process. The invention optimizes the effect of the acid and reduces the residence time of the strip (109) in the plant.

The invention concerns a continuous pickling plant (101) for the treatment of metal products (109) in the form of a strip or tube which includes a plurality of acid solution process tanks (102) each divided into a plurality of turbulence cells (114) and a recirculation system of the acid solution. The plant also includes, upstream of the plurality of process tanks (102), a device for heating (124; 126) the metal product (109), namely an induction heating (124) system and/or a tunnel with water sprays (126). A solution with only two pickling tanks (102) is also presented. Devices are described (135; 136; 138, 138a) to increase turbulence in the tanks and to accelerate pickling, e.g. by adding fresh acid (146) in the first tank. The invention also concerns a related pickling process. The invention optimizes the effect of the acid and reduces the residence time of the strip (109) in the plant.