A method for production of a flat steel product including at least the following steps, completed in a continuous process: providing a flat steel product, wherein a protective metal layer of Zn, a Zn—Al alloy, a Zn—Mg alloy or a Zn—Mg—Al alloy is applied to at least one side by hot dip coating; at least partly removing a native oxide layer present on the surface of the protective metal layer by wetting this surface with an acidic solution of sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, phosphonic acid, nitric acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, nitrous acid or hydrofluoric acid; activating the surface of the protective metal layer by applying an aqueous activation solution to the surface of the protective metal layer; and phosphating the activated surface of the protective metal layer by applying an aqueous phosphating solution to the activated surface.

Disclosed herein is an aqueous composition having a pH value at 55° C. in the range from 5 to 9, containing at least two different amino organophosphonic acid derivatives of formula (I)

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where residues R independently of each other are CH.sub.2—PO(OR″).sub.2, residues R′ independently of each other are alkylene residues with 2 to 4 carbon atoms, residues R″ independently of each other are H, Na, K, Li or NH.sub.4; and n is an integer from 0 to 4; and where the at least two different amino organophosphonic acid derivatives differ in the value of n. Further disclosed herein is a concentrate to produce such compositions, a pickling method for pickling metallic substrates making use of the compositions, a coating method for coating metallic substrates including the pickling method and a method of using the compositions for pickling metallic substrates.

Provided are coated metal, the metal having improved properties due to a novel coating, a coating-forming treatment solution for forming the novel coating, and a method for producing the coated metal that has the novel coating. The coated metal includes metal and a coating formed on the metal. The coating includes Si, P, and O, and at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Ba, Sr, Zn, Al, and Mn. The coating includes a compound having a NASICON-type crystal structure represented by the general formula M.sup.IM.sup.IV.sub.2(M.sup.VO.sub.4).sub.3.

The present invention is directed towards an aqueous alkaline cleaner composition comprising: an iron cation, a molybdenum cation, a cobalt cation, or combinations thereof; and an alkaline component; wherein the pH of the aqueous alkaline composition is at least 10, and the aqueous alkaline composition includes no more than 50 ppm of phosphate. Also disclosed are treatment systems comprising an aqueous alkaline composition for treating at least a portion of a substrate, and a pretreatment composition for treating at least a portion of a substrate. Also disclosed are substrates treated according to the disclosed treatment systems.

Provided herein is a method for specifically adjusting the electrical conductivity of a conversion coating, wherein a metallic surface or a conversion-coated metallic surface is treated with an aqueous composition which comprises at least one kind of metal ions selected from the group consisting of the ions of molybdenum, copper, silver, gold, palladium, tin, and antimony and/or at least one electrically conductive polymer selected from the group consisting of the polymer classes of the polyamines, polyanilines, polyimines, polythiophenes, and polypryrols.

Disclosed herein is a phosphonate-free, aqueous pickling composition having a pH value at 55° C. in the range from 5 to 9, and containing at least one copolymer, which is water-soluble or water-dispersible and selected from the group consisting of polyvinylpyrrolidones; the content of water being in the range from 95.0 wt.-% to 99.9 wt.-% based on the total weight of the composition. Further disclosed herein is a concentrate to produce such compositions, a pickling method for pickling metallic substrates making use of the compositions, a coating method for coating metallic substrates including the pickling method and a method of using the compositions for pickling metallic substrates.

Disclosed is an activating rinse for treating at least a portion of a substrate, comprising a dispersion of metal phosphate particles having a D.sub.90 particle size of no greater than 10 μm, wherein the metal phosphate comprises divalent or trivalent metals or combinations thereof; a dispersant; and a metal sulfate salt. Methods of treating a substrate with the activating rinse also are disclosed. Optionally, substrates treated with the activating rinse also are disclosed.

A treatment agent for chromium-free insulating coating formation suitable for forming an insulating coating on a surface of a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet. The treatment agent includes components (A), (B), (C), and (D). The component (B) is contained in an amount of 50 to 150 parts by mass on a SiO.sub.2 solid basis, and the component (C) is contained in an amount of 5.0 parts by mass or more on an elemental metal basis, the amounts being based on 100 parts by mass, on a solid basis, of the component (A). The component (D) is contained in an amount that a molar ratio of M.sup.2+ and M.sup.3+, each being a metal element in the treatment agent for chromium-free insulating coating formation, to a phosphorus element P satisfies a specified relationship, and the treatment agent for chromium-free insulating coating formation has a pH of less than 4.5.

A magnesium alloy part is inserted into a mold, a resin composition is injected and joined to the part, and a composite is obtained. A part having, formed thereon, a surface layer of a metal oxide, a metal carbonate, or a metal phosphate in use of a usual conversion treatment or a modification method thereof can be used for the magnesium alloy plate 1. The surface that has a larger amount of crystal-like objects of a nanolevel on the surface layer composed of the metal oxide, metal carbonate, or metal phosphate has a higher level of hardness, microscopic roughness, and good injection joining force, and these parameters can be controlled by a conversion treatment method. A resin composition 4, containing PBT or PPS as the main component, is used as the resin composition part.

A magnesium alloy part is inserted into a mold, a resin composition is injected and joined to the part, and a composite is obtained. A part having, formed thereon, a surface layer of a metal oxide, a metal carbonate, or a metal phosphate in use of a usual conversion treatment or a modification method thereof can be used for the magnesium alloy plate 1. The surface that has a larger amount of crystal-like objects of a nanolevel on the surface layer composed of the metal oxide, metal carbonate, or metal phosphate has a higher level of hardness, microscopic roughness, and good injection joining force, and these parameters can be controlled by a conversion treatment method. A resin composition 4, containing PBT or PPS as the main component, is used as the resin composition part.