Red rust staining of Al/Zn coated steel strip in acid rain or polluted environments can be minimised by forming the coating as an AlZnSiMg alloy coating with an OT:SDAS ratio greater than a value of 0.5:1, where OT is the overlay thickness on a surface of the strip and SDAS is the measure of the secondary dendrite arm spacing for the Al-rich alpha phase dendrites in the coating. Red rust staining in acid rain or polluted environments and corrosion at cut edges in marine environments can be minimised in AlZnSiMg alloy coatings on steel strip by selection of the composition (principally Mg and Si) and solidification control (principally by cooling rate) and forming Mg.sub.2Si phase particles of a particular morphology in interdendritic channels.

The invention relates to a system and a method for the hot-dip galvanization of motor-vehicle components, preferably for mass-production hot-dip galvanization of a plurality of identical or similar motor-vehicle components, in particular in batches, preferably for batch galvanization, especially preferably for high-precision hot-dip galvanization.

The present disclosure relates to a hot-dip-coated steel sheet having a ZnMgAl coating which includes aluminum at between 0.1 and 8.0 wt %, magnesium at between 0.1 and 8.0 wt %, the balance being zinc and unavoidable impurities, wherein the coating comprises zinc grains and further phases of magnesium and/or aluminum and also eutectic structures including at least intermetallic zinc-magnesium phases, wherein a native oxide layer is formed on the coating. In accordance with the present disclosure, the coating beneath the native oxide layer has an area fraction of at least 35% in which there is an average nanohardness of at least 4 GPa.

The present disclosure relates to a hot-dip-coated steel sheet having a ZnMgAl coating which includes aluminum at between 0.1 and 8.0 wt %, magnesium at between 0.1 and 8.0 wt %, the balance being zinc and unavoidable impurities, wherein the coating comprises zinc grains and further phases of magnesium and/or aluminum and also eutectic structures including at least intermetallic zinc-magnesium phases, wherein a native oxide layer is formed on the coating. In accordance with the present disclosure, the coating beneath the native oxide layer has an area fraction of at least 35% in which there is an average nanohardness of at least 4 GPa.

An AlZnSiMg alloy coated strip that has Mg.sub.2Si particles in the coating microstructure is disclosed. The distribution of Mg.sub.2Si particles is such that the surface of the coating has only a small proportion of Mg.sub.2Si particles or is at least substantially free of any Mg.sub.2Si particles.

An AlZnSiMg alloy coated strip that has Mg.sub.2Si particles in the coating microstructure is disclosed. The distribution of Mg.sub.2Si particles is such that the surface of the coating has only a small proportion of Mg.sub.2Si particles or is at least substantially free of any Mg.sub.2Si particles.

Aluminum can be used as a fuel source when reacted with water if its native surrounding oxide coating is penetrated with a gallium-based eutectic. When discrete aluminum objects are treated in a heated bath of eutectic, the eutectic penetrates the oxide coating. After the aluminum objects are treated, the aluminum objects can be reacted in a reactor to produce hydrogen which can, for example, react with oxygen in a fuel cell to produce electricity, for use in a variety of applications.

Aluminum can be used as a fuel source when reacted with water if its native surrounding oxide coating is penetrated with a gallium-based eutectic. When discrete aluminum objects are treated in a heated bath of eutectic, the eutectic penetrates the oxide coating. After the aluminum objects are treated, the aluminum objects can be reacted in a reactor to produce hydrogen which can, for example, react with oxygen in a fuel cell to produce electricity, for use in a variety of applications.

A method of producing an Al plated steel wire comprises a first step of continuously immersing a material steel wire formed of a steel core into a molten Al plating bath and then withdrawing the material steel wire to a gas phase space. The material steel wire plated with a plating metal is brought into contact with a contact member at the plating bath rising portion to produce the Al plated steel wire, the Al plated steel wire having an average diameter D.sub.A (mm) and a minimum diameter D.sub.MIN (mm) in the longitudinal direction of the wire satisfying the following expression (1) (D.sub.AD.sub.MIN)/D.sub.A0.10, (1). The Al plated steel wire is then wound.

A method of producing an Al plated steel wire comprises a first step of continuously immersing a material steel wire formed of a steel core into a molten Al plating bath and then withdrawing the material steel wire to a gas phase space. The material steel wire plated with a plating metal is brought into contact with a contact member at the plating bath rising portion to produce the Al plated steel wire, the Al plated steel wire having an average diameter D.sub.A (mm) and a minimum diameter D.sub.MIN (mm) in the longitudinal direction of the wire satisfying the following expression (1) (D.sub.AD.sub.MIN)/D.sub.A0.10, (1). The Al plated steel wire is then wound.