In a double-oriented electrical steel sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention, the fraction of crystal grains having an orientation within 15° from {100}<001> is 50 to 75%, and the fraction of crystal grains having an orientation within 15° from {100}<380> is 50 to 75%.

A method of forming a shaped steel object, includes cutting a blank from an alloy composition. The alloy composition includes 0.1-1 wt. % carbon, 0.1-3 wt. % manganese, 0.1-3 wt. % silicon, 1-10 wt. % aluminum, and a balance being iron. The method also includes heating the blank to a temperature above a temperature at which austenite begins to form to generate a heated blank, transferring the heated blank to a die, forming the heated blank into a predetermined shape defined by the die to generate a shaped steel object, and decreasing the temperature of the shaped steel object to ambient temperature. The heating is performed under an atmosphere comprising at least one of an inert gas, a carbon (C)-based gas, and nitrogen (N.sub.2) gas.

A method of forming a shaped steel object, includes cutting a blank from an alloy composition. The alloy composition includes 0.1-1 wt. % carbon, 0.1-3 wt. % manganese, 0.1-3 wt. % silicon, 1-10 wt. % aluminum, and a balance being iron. The method also includes heating the blank to a temperature above a temperature at which austenite begins to form to generate a heated blank, transferring the heated blank to a die, forming the heated blank into a predetermined shape defined by the die to generate a shaped steel object, and decreasing the temperature of the shaped steel object to ambient temperature. The heating is performed under an atmosphere comprising at least one of an inert gas, a carbon (C)-based gas, and nitrogen (N.sub.2) gas.

A grain-oriented electrical steel sheet of an embodiment of the present invention comprises Si: 1.0% to 7.0% and Y: 0.005% to 0.5% by wt %, and the remainder comprising Fe and other inevitable impurities, and 10 pieces or less of inclusions comprising Y and having a diameter of 30 nm to 5 μm per area of 1 mm.sup.2.

A grain-oriented electrical steel sheet of an embodiment of the present invention comprises Si: 1.0% to 7.0% and Y: 0.005% to 0.5% by wt %, and the remainder comprising Fe and other inevitable impurities, and 10 pieces or less of inclusions comprising Y and having a diameter of 30 nm to 5 μm per area of 1 mm.sup.2.

Methods for forming a dual-phase magnetic component from an initial component comprising a non-magnetic austenite composition are provided. The method may include: forming a coating on a portion of the surface of the initial component to form a masked area while leaving an unmasked area thereon. Thereafter the initial component may be heated to a treatment temperature such that nitrogen diffuses out of the unmasked area of the initial component to transform the non-magnetic austenite composition to a magnetic phase in the unmasked area. Thereafter, the initial component may be cooled from the treatment temperature to form a dual-phase magnetic component having a magnetic region corresponding to the unmasked area and a non-magnetic region corresponding to the masked area.

Disclosed are a device and method for continuously performing grain boundary diffusion and heat treatment, characterized in that the alloy workpiece or the metal workpiece are arranged in a relatively independent processing box together with a diffusion source; the device comprises, in successive arrangement, a grain boundary diffusion chamber, a first cooling chamber, a heat treatment chamber, and a second cooling chamber, and a transfer system provided between various chambers for delivering the processing box; each of the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber uses an air cooling system, and the cooling air temperature of the first cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 550° C. from the grain boundary diffusion temperature of the grain boundary diffusion chamber; the cooling air temperature of the second cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 300° C. from the heat treatment temperature of the heat treatment chamber; and the cooling chamber has a pressure of 50 kPa to 100 kPa. The device provided by the present invention can increase the cooling rate and production efficiency, and improve product consistency.

A zinc-plated steel sheet for hot stamping according to an aspect of the present invention includes a steel substrate and a plated layer provided on a surface of the steel substrate, in which the steel substrate contains, in % by mass, C: 0.10 to 0.5%, Si: 0.7 to 2.5%, Mn: 1.0 to 3%, and Al: 0.01 to 0.5%, with the balance being iron and inevitable impurities, and the steel substrate has, in the inside thereof, an internal oxide layer consists of an oxide containing at least one of Si and Mn having a thickness of 1 μm or more, and a decarburized layer having a thickness of 20 μm or less from an interface with the plated layer toward an internal direction of the steel substrate.

A zinc-plated steel sheet for hot stamping according to an aspect of the present invention includes a steel substrate and a plated layer provided on a surface of the steel substrate, in which the steel substrate contains, in % by mass, C: 0.10 to 0.5%, Si: 0.7 to 2.5%, Mn: 1.0 to 3%, and Al: 0.01 to 0.5%, with the balance being iron and inevitable impurities, and the steel substrate has, in the inside thereof, an internal oxide layer consists of an oxide containing at least one of Si and Mn having a thickness of 1 μm or more, and a decarburized layer having a thickness of 20 μm or less from an interface with the plated layer toward an internal direction of the steel substrate.

A steel consists of, in mass %, C: 0.25 to 0.45%, Si: 0.10 to 0.50%, Mn: 0.40 to 0.70%, P: 0.015% or less, S: 0.005% or less, Cr: 0.80 to 1.50%, Mo: 0.17 to 0.30%, V: 0.24 to 0.40%, Al: 0.005 to 0.100%, N: 0.0300% or less, O: 0.0015% or less, and the balance being Fe and impurities, and satisfies Formula (1) to Formula (4) described in the present specification, wherein: its microstructure is composed of ferrite and pearlite having a total area fraction of 5.0 to 100.0%, and a hard phase having a total area fraction of 0 to 95.0%; a proportion of a total area of CaO—CaS—MgO—Al.sub.2O.sub.3 composite oxides with respect to a total area of oxides in the steel is 30.0% or more; and a number density of oxides having an equivalent circle diameter of 20.0 μm or more is 15.0 pieces/mm.sup.2 or less.