In the present invention, provided is a steel sheet having a predetermined chemical composition and a metallographic structure, in which A/B, which is a ratio of a length A of an interface between epitaxial ferrite and ferrite to a length B of an interface between the epitaxial ferrite and martensite in a cross section that is along a rolling direction and perpendicular to a surface of the steel sheet at a position of ¼ of a sheet thickness from the surface of the steel sheet is more than 1.5, a ratio of a major axis to a minor axis of the martensite is 5.0 or more, and a tensile strength is 980 MPa or more.

A method for manufacturing a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet according to one aspect of the present invention includes an annealing step of reduction-annealing a steel sheet having a Si content of 1.0% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less at a temperature equal to or higher than an A3 point of the steel sheet in an atmosphere having a dew point of −20° C. or higher; and a hot-dip galvanizing step of making the annealed steel sheet enter into a galvanizing bath to form a galvanized layer on a surface of the steel sheet, wherein a temperature of the steel sheet entering into the galvanizing bath is set to 390° C. or lower.

Provided is a high strength steel sheet that has a predetermined chemical composition and is manufactured under optimum conditions, the high strength steel sheet having a steel microstructure including, by area, ferrite: 30% or more and 80% or less, tempered martensite: 3.0% or more and 35% or less, and retained austenite: 8% or more, wherein the quotient of the area fraction of grains of the retained austenite, the grains having an aspect ratio of 2.0 or more and a minor axis length of 1 μm or less, divided by the total area fraction of the retained austenite is 0.3 or more, wherein the quotient of the average Mn content (mass %) in the retained austenite divided by the average Mn content (mass %) in the ferrite is 1.5 or more.

An equipment for the continuous hot dip-coating of a metal strip including an annealing furnace, a tank containing a liquid metal bath, a snout connecting the annealing furnace and the tank, through which the metal strip runs in a protective atmosphere and the lower part of the snout, the snout tip, is at least partly immersed in the liquid metal bath in order to define with the surface of the bath, and inside this snout, a liquid seal and a separate overflow attached/hold to the snout through fixings, the overflow including at least one tray, placed in the vicinity of the strip when entering the liquid metal bath and encompassed by the liquid seal.

An equipment for the continuous hot dip-coating of a metal strip including an annealing furnace, a tank containing a liquid metal bath, a snout connecting the annealing furnace and the tank, through which the metal strip runs in a protective atmosphere and the lower part of the snout, the snout tip, is at least partly immersed in the liquid metal bath in order to define with the surface of the bath, and inside this snout, a liquid seal and a separate overflow attached/hold to the snout through fixings, the overflow including at least one tray, placed in the vicinity of the strip when entering the liquid metal bath and encompassed by the liquid seal.

A flat product of steel with yield strength Rp 0.2 of 660 to 820 MPa, BH2 value greater than 30 MPa, a hole expansion ratio greater than 30%, and a microstructure having a first main component at a proportion of at least 50%, including one or more individual components of ferrite, tempered bainite, and tempered martensite, each with less than 5% carbides, and a second main component at a proportion of 5% to 50%, including one or more individual components of martensite, residual austenite, bainite or perlite, with the steel having a following chemical composition (in weight %): C: 0.04 to 0.12; Si: 0.03 to 0.8; Mn: 1 to 2.5: P: max. 0.08; S: max. 0.01; N: max. 0.01; Al: up to 0.1; Ni+Mo; up to 0.5; Nb: up to 0.08; Ti: up to 0.2; Nb+Ti: min, 0.03; Cr: up to 0.6; the remainder being iron including unavoidable steel-associated elements.

Provided is a steel sheet having excellent image clarity after painting, including: carbon (C): 0.001% to 0.03%, silicon (Si): 0.001% to 0.35%, manganese (Mn): 0.05% to 2.2%, phosphorus (P): 0.003% to 0.1%, sulfur (S): 0.001% or 0.025%, aluminum (Al): 0.01% to 0.1%, nitrogen (N): 0.001% to 0.007%, and a remainder of iron (Fe) and inevitable impurities. The microstructure of the steel sheet mainly is ferrite phases. An R-cube texture of a surface layer of the steel sheet is 5% or less by area %.

Provided is a steel sheet having excellent image clarity after painting, including: carbon (C): 0.001% to 0.03%, silicon (Si): 0.001% to 0.35%, manganese (Mn): 0.05% to 2.2%, phosphorus (P): 0.003% to 0.1%, sulfur (S): 0.001% or 0.025%, aluminum (Al): 0.01% to 0.1%, nitrogen (N): 0.001% to 0.007%, and a remainder of iron (Fe) and inevitable impurities. The microstructure of the steel sheet mainly is ferrite phases. An R-cube texture of a surface layer of the steel sheet is 5% or less by area %.

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.

The invention relates to the technical field of galvanization of iron-based or iron-containing components, especially steel-based or steel-containing components (steel components), preferably for the automotive or motor vehicle industry, but also for other industrial fields of application (for example for the construction industry, the field of general mechanical engineering, the electrical engineering industry etc.), by means of hot galvanization (hot clip galvanization). More particularly, the invention relates to a method of hot galvanization (hot dip galvanization) and to a plant for this purpose, and additionally to a flux and flux bath usable in this connection and to the respective uses thereof, and additionally also to the products obtainable by the method and/or in the plant (i.e. hot galvanized iron or steel components).