A welding system includes a welding power source configured to provide pulsed electropositive direct current (DCEP), a gas supply system configured to provide a shielding gas flow that is at least 90% argon (Ar), a welding wire feeder configured to provide tubular welding wire. The DCEP, the tubular welding wire, and the shielding gas flow are combined to form a weld deposit on a zinc-coated workpiece, wherein less than approximately 10 wt % of the tubular welding wire is converted to spatter while forming the weld deposit on the zinc-coated workpiece.

A plated steel includes: a steel; and a plating layer that is provided on a surface of the steel, in which the plating layer includes, by mass %, Al: 5.00% to 35.00%, Mg: 2.50% to 13.00%, Fe: 5.00% to 40.00%, Si: 0% to 2.00%, Ca: 0% to 2.00%, and a remainder of Zn and impurities, and in a cross section of the plating layer, the area fraction of a Zn solid-solution Fe.sub.2Al.sub.5 phase in which 5% or more of Zn is solid-soluted is 10% to 60% and the area fraction of a MgZn.sub.2 phase is 10% to 90%.

A press hardening method including the following steps: A. the provision of a steel sheet for heat treatment being optionally coated with a zinc- or aluminum-based pre-coating, B. the flexible rolling of the steel sheet in the rolling direction so as to obtain a steel sheet having a variable thickness, C. the cutting of the rolled steel sheet to obtain a tailored rolled blank, D. the deposition of a hydrogen barrier pre-coating over a thickness from 10 to 550 nm, E. the heat treatment of the tailored rolled blank to obtain a fully austenitic microstructure in the steel, F. the transfer of the tailored rolled blank into a press tool, G. the hot-forming of the tailored rolled blank to obtain a part having a variable thickness,H. the cooling of the part having a variable thickness obtained at step G).

A press hardening method including: A. provision of a steel sheet for heat treatment, being optionally precoated with a zinc- or aluminum-based pre-coating, B. deposition of a hydrogen barrier pre-coating comprising chromium and not comprising nickel over a thickness from 10 to 550 nm, C. cutting of the precoated steel sheet to obtain a blank, D. heat treatment of the blank at a furnace temperature from 800 to 970° C., during a dwell time from 1 to 12 minutes, in an atmosphere having an oxidizing power equal or higher than that of an atmosphere consisting of 1% by volume of oxygen and equal or smaller than that of an atmosphere consisting of 50% by volume of oxygen, such atmosphere having a dew point between −30 and +30° C., E. transfer of the blank into a press tool, F. hot-forming at a temperature from 600 to 830° C. to obtain a part, G. cooling of the part obtained at step E).

A coated steel material including: a base steel, and a coating layer containing a Zn—Al—Mg alloy layer disposed on a surface of the base steel, wherein the coating layer has a predetermined chemical composition, and, in a backscattered electron image of the Zn—Al—Mg alloy layer that is obtained at a time of observing the surface of the Zn—Al—Mg alloy layer after polishing to ½ of the layer thickness, under a scanning electron microscope at a magnification of 100×, Al crystals are present, and the average value of the cumulative circumferential length of the Al crystals is 88 to 195 mm/mm.sup.2.

A hot-rolled coated steel sheet including: in wt %, C: 0.05-0.14%, Si: 0.1-1.0%, Mn: 1.0-2.0%, P: 0.001-0.05%, S: 0.001-0.01%, AI: 0.01-0.1%, Cr: 0.005-1.0%, Ti: 0.005-0.13%, Nb: 0.005-0.03%, N: 0.001-0.01%, Fe residues, and other inevitable impurities; a mixed structure of ferrite and bainite as a main phase; and as a remaining structure, one or more selected from the group consisting of martensite, austenite, and phase martensite (MA), wherein a fraction of the ferrite and bainite is 95-99 area % and Equation 1 is satisfied. [Equation 1] FCO.sub.{110}<112>+FCO.sub.{112}<111>≥10 where, FCO.sub.{110}<112> and FCO.sub.{112}<111>, each representing an area fraction occupied by a structure having ac crystal orientation of {110}<112> and {112}<111>.

A copper-coated steel wire includes a core wire made of a steel and a coating layer made of copper or a copper alloy which covers an outer peripheral surface of the core wire. The coating layer includes an intermediate layer which is disposed in a region including the interface with the core wire and has a higher zinc concentration than a remaining region of the coating layer.

A threaded connection for pipes according to the present embodiment includes a pin, a box, and a Zn—Ni alloy plating layer. The pin has a pin contact surface that includes an external thread part. The box has a box contact surface that includes an internal thread part. The Zn—Ni alloy plating layer is disposed on or above at least one of the pin contact surface and the box contact surface. The Zn—Ni alloy plating layer contains graphite.

A plated steel sheet having excellent post-coating corrosion resistance includes: a steel; and a plating layer that is provided on a surface of the steel, in which the plating layer includes, by mass %, Al: 5.00% to 35.00%, Mg: 2.50% to 13.00%, Fe: 5.00% to 35.00%, Si: 0% to 2.00%, Ca: 0% to 2.00%, and a remainder consisting of Zn and impurities, and in a cross section of the plating layer, the area fraction of a Fe.sub.2Al.sub.5 phase is 5.0% to 60.0%, the area fraction of an eutectic structure of Zn and MgZn.sub.2 is 10.0% to 80.0%, the area fraction of a massive MgZn.sub.2 phase is 5.0% to 40.0%, and the area fraction of a remainder is 10.0% or less.

A hot-dip coated steel product including: a steel product; and a coating layer including a Zn—Al—Mg alloy layer disposed on a surface of the steel product, in which the Zn—Al—Mg alloy layer includes a Zn phase, an Al phase, and a MgZn.sub.2 phase, and contains a Mg—Sn intermetallic compound phase in the Zn phase, and the coating layer has a chemical composition satisfying a predetermined average composition, a total area proportion of the Al phase and the MgZn.sub.2 phase is 70% or more, an area proportion of the Zn phase is 30% or less, an average value of cumulative circumferential lengths of the Al phase is less than 88 mm/mm.sup.2, and a total frequency in number of the Al phase having a circumferential length of 50 μm or more is less than 100.