A high strength galvanized steel sheet having excellent surface qualities, plating adhesion, and formability is provided, wherein a galvanized layer is formed on a cold-rolled steel sheet comprising 0.1-0.3 wt % of C, 1-2.5 wt % of Si, 2.5-8 wt % of Mn, 0.001-0.5 wt % of sol. Al, at most 0.04 wt % of P, at most 0.015 wt % of S, at most 0.02 wt % of N (excluding 0 wt %), 0.1-0.7 wt % of Cr, at most 0.1 wt % of Mo, (48/14)*[N] to 0.1 wt % of Ti, 0.005-0.5 wt % of Ni, 0.01-0.07 wt % of Sb, at most 0.1 wt % of Nb, and at most 0.005 wt % of B, with the remainder being Fe and other inevitable impurities.

A high-strength galvanized steel sheet that includes a chemical composition containing, by mass %, C: 0.15% or more and 0.25% or less, Si: 0.50% or more and 2.5% or less, Mn: 2.3% or more and 4.0% or less, P: 0.100% or less, S: 0.02% or less, Al: 0.01% or more and 2.5% or less, and Fe and inevitable impurities. The steel sheet having a microstructure containing, by an area percentage basis, a tempered martensite phase: 30% or more and 73% or less, a ferrite phase: 25% or more and 68% or less, a retained austenite phase: 2% or more and 20% or less, and other phases: 10% or less (including 0%), the other phases containing a martensite phase: 3% or less (including 0%) and a bainitic ferrite phase: less than 5% (including 0%).

A high-strength galvanized steel sheet that includes a chemical composition containing, by mass %, C: 0.15% or more and 0.25% or less, Si: 0.50% or more and 2.5% or less, Mn: 2.3% or more and 4.0% or less, P: 0.100% or less, S: 0.02% or less, Al: 0.01% or more and 2.5% or less, and Fe and inevitable impurities. The steel sheet having a microstructure containing, by an area percentage basis, a tempered martensite phase: 30% or more and 73% or less, a ferrite phase: 25% or more and 68% or less, a retained austenite phase: 2% or more and 20% or less, and other phases: 10% or less (including 0%), the other phases containing a martensite phase: 3% or less (including 0%) and a bainitic ferrite phase: less than 5% (including 0%).

A high-strength plated steel sheet sequentially includes an internal oxidized layer, a soft layer containing the internal oxidized layer, and a hard layer including a structure having metallic structure which contains a low-temperature-transformation produced phase in a proportion of 20 to 85% by area of the whole of the metallic structure, polygonal ferrite in a proportion more than 10% by area, and 70% or less by area of the whole of the metallic structure, and-retained austenite in a proportion of 5% or more by volume of the whole of the metallic structure. The high-strength plated steel sheet satisfies the average depth D of the soft layer being 20 μm or more, the average depth d of the internal oxidized layer being 4 μm or more and less than D, and a tensile strength being 980 MPa or more.

A method for applying a metallic protective coating to a surface of a steel product, where another surface is to remain free from the metallic protective coating, may involve applying the metallic protective coating by hot dip coating in a hot dip coating bath. A preliminary coating may be applied to the surface that is to remain free from the metallic protective coating prior to the hot dip coating. The preliminary coating may include SiO.sub.2 and may prevent the metallic protective coating from adhering to the intended surface during hot dip coating. Thus one surface of a steel product may be provided with a metallic protective coating, and another surface of the steel product may be kept free from the protective coating, all with a minimum of cost and complexity and with optimized resource economics. Further, the preliminary coating, deposited from a gas phase to that surface of the steel product that is to be kept free from the metallic protective coating, may be a layer that includes amorphous silicon dioxide and has a layer thickness of 0.5-500 nm.”

A method for applying a metallic protective coating to a surface of a steel product, where another surface is to remain free from the metallic protective coating, may involve applying the metallic protective coating by hot dip coating in a hot dip coating bath. A preliminary coating may be applied to the surface that is to remain free from the metallic protective coating prior to the hot dip coating. The preliminary coating may include SiO.sub.2 and may prevent the metallic protective coating from adhering to the intended surface during hot dip coating. Thus one surface of a steel product may be provided with a metallic protective coating, and another surface of the steel product may be kept free from the protective coating, all with a minimum of cost and complexity and with optimized resource economics. Further, the preliminary coating, deposited from a gas phase to that surface of the steel product that is to be kept free from the metallic protective coating, may be a layer that includes amorphous silicon dioxide and has a layer thickness of 0.5-500 nm.”

Disclosed herein is a high-strength plated steel sheet having a plated layer on the surface of a base steel sheet and containing predetermined steel components. The steel sheet includes, in the order from the interface of the base steel sheet and the plated layer towards the base steel sheet: a soft layer having a Vickers hardness that is 90% or less of the Vickers hardness at a portion t/4 of the base steel sheet, where t is a sheet thickness of the base steel sheet; and a hard layer consisting of a structure which is mainly composed of martensite and bainite and in which the average grain size of prior austenite is 20 μm or less. The average depth D of the soft layer is 20 μm or greater, and the average depth d of an internal oxide layer is 4 μm or greater and smaller than D.

Disclosed herein is a high-strength plated steel sheet having a plated layer on the surface of a base steel sheet and containing predetermined steel components. The steel sheet includes, in the order from the interface of the base steel sheet and the plated layer towards the base steel sheet: a soft layer having a Vickers hardness that is 90% or less of the Vickers hardness at a portion t/4 of the base steel sheet, where t is a sheet thickness of the base steel sheet; and a hard layer consisting of a structure which is mainly composed of martensite and bainite and in which the average grain size of prior austenite is 20 μm or less. The average depth D of the soft layer is 20 μm or greater, and the average depth d of an internal oxide layer is 4 μm or greater and smaller than D.

The high-strength plated steel sheet of the present invention has a plated layer on the surface of a base steel sheet and contains predetermined steel components. The steel sheet includes, in the order from the interface of the base steel sheet and the plated layer towards the base steel sheet: a soft layer having a Vickers hardness that is 90% or less of the Vickers hardness at a portion t/4 of the base steel sheet, where t is a sheet thickness of the base steel sheet: and a hard layer containing martensite, bainite, and ferrite in predetermined ranges. The average depth D of the soft layer is 20 μm or greater, and the average depth d of an internal oxide layer is 4 μm or greater and smaller than D.

The high-strength plated steel sheet of the present invention has a plated layer on the surface of a base steel sheet and contains predetermined steel components. The steel sheet includes, in the order from the interface of the base steel sheet and the plated layer towards the base steel sheet: a soft layer having a Vickers hardness that is 90% or less of the Vickers hardness at a portion t/4 of the base steel sheet, where t is a sheet thickness of the base steel sheet: and a hard layer containing martensite, bainite, and ferrite in predetermined ranges. The average depth D of the soft layer is 20 μm or greater, and the average depth d of an internal oxide layer is 4 μm or greater and smaller than D.