Provided is a method for manufacturing a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet. The method comprises: hot rolling a slab to obtain a hot rolled sheet; subjecting the hot rolled sheet to hot band annealing as necessary; subjecting the hot rolled sheet to cold rolling; subjecting the cold rolled sheet to decarburization annealing; applying an annealing separator having MgO as a main component onto a surface of the decarburization annealed sheet and subjecting the decarburization annealed sheet to final annealing to form the forsterite film; and applying an insulating coating treatment liquid onto the final annealed sheet and subjecting the final annealed sheet to flattening annealing to form a tension-applying insulating coating. A difference in total tensions between one and opposite surfaces of the sheet is less than 0.5 MPa. A difference in tensions between the forsterite films in one and opposite surfaces of the sheet is 0.5 MPa or more.

A non-oriented electrical steel sheet according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a base metal steel sheet, and a composite coating film composed of a Zn-containing phosphate and an organic resin, the composite coating film being formed on a surface of the base metal steel sheet, wherein: a content of Zn in the composite coating film is 10 mg/m.sup.2 or more per side; and the product of an amount of oxygen in the base metal steel sheet and a sheet thickness of the base metal steel sheet is 50 ppm.Math.mm or less.

There is provided a non-oriented electrical steel sheet that includes a base metal steel sheet and an insulating coating film that is formed on a surface of the base metal steel sheet, wherein the insulating coating film mainly contains metal phosphate, organic resin, and water-soluble organic compound, the water-soluble organic compound has an SP value that is within a range of 10.0 to 20.0 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2, the metal phosphate contains aluminum and zinc as metallic elements, and when measurement by an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is performed from a surface of the insulating coating film in a thickness direction of the non-oriented electrical steel sheet, a depth at which a strength of a 2p peak of zinc reaches a maximum is present closer to the surface side than a depth at which a strength of a 2p peak of aluminum reaches a maximum, and a maximum value of the strength of the 2p peak of zinc is 1 to 20 times a strength of the 2p peak of aluminum at the depth at which the strength of the 2p peak of zinc reaches a maximum.

Provided are: an oriented electrical steel sheet having a high tension applied to a steel sheet and excellent adhesion to a film; and a method for producing the same. This oriented electrical steel sheet includes: a steel sheet; a film A containing a crystalline material disposed on the steel sheet; and a film B containing a vitreous material disposed on the film A, wherein an element profile, which is obtained by using a high-frequency glow discharge light-emission surface analysis method, in the direction from the film B to the steel sheet satisfies formulae (1) and (2). 0.35≤(t.sub.A/t.sub.Fe/2)≤0.75 . . . (1), 0.25≤(t.sub.A/2/t.sub.Fe/2)≤1.00 . . . (2), where t.sub.A represents the peak time of an alkali metal element profile, t.sub.A/2 represents the half time of an alkali metal.

Grain-oriented electrical steel sheet excellent in magnetic properties and excellent in adhesion of a primary coating to the steel sheet is provided. The grain-oriented electrical steel sheet is provided with a base steel sheet having a chemical composition containing C: 0.005% or less, Si: 2.5 to 4.5%, Mn: 0.050 to 1.000%, a total of S and Se: 0.005% or less, sol. Al: 0.005% or less, and N: 0.005% or less and having a balance of Fe and impurities and a primary coating having Mg.sub.2 SiO.sub.4 as a main constituent formed on a surface of the base steel sheet. A peak position of Al emission intensity obtained when conducting elemental analysis by glow discharge spectrometry from a surface of the primary coating in a thickness direction is present in a range of 2.0 to 12.0 .Math.m from a surface of the primary coating to the thickness direction. A sum of perimeters of the Al oxides at the peak position of Al emission intensity is 0.20 to 1.00 .Math.m/.Math.m.sup.2, and a number density of Al oxides is 0.02 to 0.20 /.Math.m.sup.2.

A grain oriented electrical steel sheet includes: a base steel sheet; a glass film which is arranged in contact with the base steel sheet; and an insulation coating which is arranged in contact with the glass film and which includes a phosphate and a colloidal silica as main components. The base steel sheet includes the predetermined chemical composition. A BN whose average particle size is 50 to 300 nm is included at a predetermined number density in a region which is from an interface between the glass film and the insulation coating till 5 μm toward the base steel sheet in a depth direction. A B emission intensity obtained inside the glass film is more than a B emission intensity obtained inside the base steel sheet, when a B emission intensity is measured from a surface of the insulation coating by a glow discharge emission spectroscopy.

There is provided a non-oriented electrical steel sheet that includes a base metal steel sheet and an insulating coating film that is formed on a surface of the base metal steel sheet, wherein the insulating coating film mainly contains metal phosphate, organic resin, and water-soluble organic compound, the metal phosphate contains at least aluminum as a metallic element, the organic resin has an SP value being within a range of 18.0 (MPa).sup.0.5 or more to less than 24.0 (MPa).sup.0.5, the water-soluble organic compound has an SP value being within a range of 19.0 (MPa).sup.0.5 or more to less than 35.0 (MPa).sup.0.5, and when measurement by X-ray diffractometry is performed on the insulating coating film, a degree of crystallinity of aluminum phosphate calculated from a peak from the metal phosphate is within a range of 0.5 to 5.0%.

A grain-oriented electrical steel sheet has a base film composed mainly of forsterite on a surface of the grain-oriented electrical steel sheet and an insulating film containing mainly silicate-phosphate glass which is formed on a surface of the base film, in which, by controlling concentrations of Sr, Ca, and Ba in the base film and the insulating film to have specified gradients, the adhesion property and film tension of the insulating film are improved.

A non-oriented electrical steel sheet according to one embodiment of this invention includes a base metal steel sheet and a composite coating film composed of a Zn-containing phosphate and an organic resin, the composite coating film being formed on a surface of the base metal steel sheet. A molar ratio of Zn to all metal components in the composite coating film is 10 mol % or more, and after the non-oriented electrical steel sheet is boiled for 20 minutes in boiled distilled water, an amount of soluble Zn in the distilled water is 1.0 mg/m.sup.2 or more. The method for determining the amount of soluble Zn is in accordance with JIS K 0102: 2016 “Testing Methods for Industrial Wastewater”, 53.3 “ICP Emission Spectroscopy”.

The present invention provides a chromium-free coating composition having high blackening resistance and corrosion resistance, the composition comprising: 20 to 70 wt % of waterborne silane modified polyurethane; 0.5 to 5 wt % of a hardener; 0.5 to 5 wt % of a blackening inhibitor; 0.5 to 5 wt % of a corrosion inhibitor; and 0.5 to 5 wt % of a lubricant, with the balance being a solvent. The chromium-free coating composition has the effect of improving blackening resistance, corrosion resistance, alkali resistance, solvent resistance and fingerprint resistance of a steel sheet on which a coating layer comprising the composition is formed.