Provided is a highly corrosion-resistant plated steel sheet having plating adhesion and resistance to liquid metal embrittlement. A highly corrosion-resistant plated steel sheet comprises a base steel sheet and a plated layer, which sequentially comprises an Fe—Al alloy layer and an MgZn.sub.2 layer from an interface with the base steel sheet.

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 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.

A coated steel member includes: a steel sheet substrate containing, as a chemical composition, by mass %, C: 0.25% to 0.65%, Si: 0.10% to 1.00%, Mn: 0.30% 1.00%, P: 0.050% or less, S: 0.0100% or less, N: 0.010% or less, Ti: 0.010% to 0.100%, B: 0.0005% to 0.0100%, Nb: 0.02% to 0.10%, Mo: 0.10% to 1.00%, Cu: 0.15% to 1.00%, and Ni: 0.05% to 0.25%; and a coating formed on a surface of the steel sheet substrate and containing Al and Fe. The maximum Cu content in a range from the surface to a depth of 5.0 μm is 150% or more of the Cu content of the steel sheet substrate.

A steel sheet has a predetermined chemical composition, in which a microstructure in a ¼ width portion, a microstructure in a ½ width portion, and a microstructure in a ¾ width portion, include, by area %, ferrite: 80% or more, martensite: 2% or less, and residual austenite: 2% or less, in which a proportion of unrecrystallized ferrite in the ferrite is 5% to 60%, an average grain size of carbonitrides is 6.0 nm to 30.0 nm, and Expressions (2) to (5) are satisfied.

Δ.sub.SF/μ.sub.SF≤0.10  (2)

Δ.sub.dF/μ.sub.dF≤0.20  (3)

Δ.sub.SUF≤20  (4)

Δ.sub.dC/μ.sub.dC≤0.50  (5)

A method of shaping an article from a zinc or zinc alloy coated steel blank, including the steps of: a) providing a blank of the zinc or zinc alloy coated steel; b) reheating of the blank obtained in step a) to a reheating temperature T.sub.RH in the range Ac3-200° C. of the steel; c) soaking the blank for a time up to 3 minutes at the reheating temperature T.sub.RH; d) shaping the article in a press; and e) cooling the article. The steel includes (in wt. %) C: 0.01-0.2; Mn: 3.1-9.0; Al: 0.5-3.0; and optionally further alloying elements selected from Si, Cr, V, Nb, Ti and Mo; inevitable impurities and the balance is Fe.

A press hardening method includes the following steps: A. the provision of a steel sheet for heat treatment, precoated with a zinc- or aluminum-based pre-coating for anti-corrosion purpose, B. the deposition of a hydrogen barrier pre-coating over a thickness from 10 to 550 nm, C. the batch annealing of the precoated steel sheet in an inert atmosphere to obtain a pre-alloyed steel sheet, D. the cutting of the pre-alloyed steel sheet to obtain blank, E. the thermal treatment of the blank to obtain a fully austenitic microstructure in the steel, F. the transfer of the blank into a press tool, G. the hot-forming of the blank to obtain a part, H. the cooling of the part obtained at step G).

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 method for producing a coated steel sheet having a tensile strength TS of at least 1450 MPa and a total elongation TE of at least 17% includes the successive steps of providing a cold rolled steel sheet made of a steel having a chemical composition comprising, in weight %: 0.34%≤C≤0.45%, 1.50%≤Mn≤2.30%, 1.50≤Si≤2.40%, 0%<Cr≤0.7%, 0%≤Mo≤0.3%, 0.10%≤Al≤0.7%, and optionally 0%≤Nb≤0.05%, the remainder being Fe and unavoidable impurities, annealing the cold-rolled steel sheet at an annealing temperature AT higher than the Ac3 transformation point of the steel, quenching the annealed steel sheet by cooling it down to a quenching temperature QT lower than the Ms transformation point of the steel and comprised between 150° C. and 250° C., and reheating the quenched steel sheet to a partitioning temperature PT between 350° C. and 450° C. and maintaining the steel sheet at the partitioning temperature PT for a partitioning time Pt of at least 80 s, and coating the steel sheet by galvannealing, with an alloying temperature GAT comprised between 470° C. and 520° C.

A method for producing a coated steel sheet having a tensile strength TS of at least 1450 MPa and a total elongation TE of at least 17% includes the successive steps of providing a cold rolled steel sheet made of a steel having a chemical composition comprising, in weight %: 0.34%≤C≤0.45%, 1.50%≤Mn≤2.30%, 1.50≤Si≤2.40%, 0%<Cr≤0.7%, 0%≤Mo≤0.3%, 0.10%≤Al≤0.7%, and optionally 0%≤Nb≤0.05%, the remainder being Fe and unavoidable impurities, annealing the cold-rolled steel sheet at an annealing temperature AT higher than the Ac3 transformation point of the steel, quenching the annealed steel sheet by cooling it down to a quenching temperature QT lower than the Ms transformation point of the steel and comprised between 150° C. and 250° C., and reheating the quenched steel sheet to a partitioning temperature PT between 350° C. and 450° C. and maintaining the steel sheet at the partitioning temperature PT for a partitioning time Pt of at least 80 s, and coating the steel sheet by galvannealing, with an alloying temperature GAT comprised between 470° C. and 520° C.