A novel method of blackening surgical needles is disclosed. Surgical needles having outer surfaces are first placed into a first pretreatment bath having a novel composition. The needles are then placed into a second blackening bath having a novel composition for a sufficient period of time to effectively blacken the surfaces of the needles. The novel methods for blackening the surfaces of a stainless steel alloy surgical needle provide a chromium (VI)-free alternative to current needle manufacturing processes. Another unique feature of this novel method is its short processing time. The blackening processes of the present invention can be utilized for in-line treatment processes which can be easily incorporated into high speed needle manufacturing processes, such as strip mounted processes. In addition, the processes of the present invention are readily adaptable to batch processes. Also disclosed are novel systems for blackening surgical needles and novel blackening baths for surgical needles.

A surface treatment agent capable of forming a hexavalent chromium-free chemical conversion coating that can provide an excellent corrosion-resistant coating on various metallic materials; a metallic material having a surface treatment coating obtained therefrom; and a method of producing the same. A free fluorine ion-containing surface treatment agent for surface-treating a metallic material, which is obtained by mixing at least one supply source (A) of trivalent chromium-containing ions A; a supply source (B) of ions B that are at least one selected from titanium-containing ions and zirconium-containing ions; a water-soluble or water-dispersible compound (C) containing an alkoxysilyl group, an aromatic ring, a hydroxy group directly bonded to the aromatic ring, and at least one of primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary amino groups, wherein the alkoxysilyl group is bonded to the nitrogen atom of the amino group directly or via an alkylene group; and a fluorine-containing compound (D) providing fluorine-containing ions.

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.

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 novel method of blackening surgical needles is disclosed. Surgical needles having outer surfaces are first placed into a first pretreatment bath having a novel composition. The needles are then placed into a second blackening bath having a novel composition for a sufficient period of time to effectively blacken the surfaces of the needles. The novel methods for blackening the surfaces of a stainless steel alloy surgical needle provide a chromium (VI)-free alternative to current needle manufacturing processes. Another unique feature of this novel method is its short processing time. The blackening processes of the present invention can be utilized for in-line treatment processes which can be easily incorporated into high speed needle manufacturing processes, such as strip mounted processes. In addition, the processes of the present invention are readily adaptable to batch processes. Also disclosed are novel systems for blackening surgical needles and novel blackening baths for surgical needles.

A method for manufacturing a high-strength galvanized steel sheet having excellent strength-elongation balance, coating adhesiveness, and surface appearance. The method includes: (i) a first heating process of heating a steel sheet having a predetermined chemical composition, (ii) a first pickling process of pickling the steel sheet which was subjected to the first heating process in an oxidizing acidic aqueous solution, (iii) a second pickling process of pickling the steel sheet which was subjected to the first pickling process in a non-oxidizing acidic aqueous solution, (iv) a second heating process of holding the steel sheet, which was subjected to the second pickling process, at a temperature range of 700° C. or higher and 900° C. or lower in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere for 20 seconds or more and 300 seconds or less, and (v) performing a galvanizing treatment on the steel sheet which was subjected to the second heating process.

A composition for washing a pickled steel plate and a method for washing a pickled steel plate using the same are provided. The composition for washing a pickled steel plate includes a phosphoric acid ester compound, an amine-based compound, sodium carbonate, ammonium acetate, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and a remainder of water, and the method for washing a pickled steel plate is performed using the same.

A grain-oriented electrical steel sheet according to the present invention includes a silicon steel sheet as a base steel sheet, and when an average value of amplitudes in a wavelength range of 20 to 100 μm among wavelength components obtained by performing Fourier analysis on a measured cross-sectional curve parallel to a sheet width direction of the silicon steel sheet is set as ave-AMP.sub.C100, ave-AMP.sub.C100 is 0.0001 to 0.050 μm.

A method for pickling a steel plate having a first steel plate portion and a second steel plate portion which is connected to a tail end of the first steel plate portion and which requires a longer time for pickling than the first steel plate portion when pickled under the same condition includes: a step of pickling the steel plate by immersing the steel plate in an acid solution in at least one pickling tank while conveying the steel plate; a step of circulating the acid solution, through a circulation line connected to any of the at least one pickling tank, between the pickling tank and an oxidizing device disposed in the circulation line; a step of oxidizing Fe.sup.2+ in the acid solution to Fe.sup.3+ by the oxidizing device using a gaseous oxidant; and a feeding start step of, upon switching from pickling of the first steel plate portion to pickling of the second steel plate portion, starting feeding of a liquid oxidant for oxidizing Fe.sup.2+ in the acid solution to Fe.sup.3+ to any of the at least one pickling tank or to the circulation line.

The grain-oriented electrical steel sheet is a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet which does not have an inorganic coating containing forsterite as a main component, including a base steel sheet having a predetermined chemical component, a silicon-containing oxide layer provided on the base steel sheet, an iron-based oxide layer provided on the silicon-containing oxide layer, and a tension-insulation coating provided on the iron-based oxide layer, having a thickness of 1 to 3 μm, and containing phosphate and colloidal silica as main components. When elemental analysis is performed from a surface of the tension-insulation coating in a sheet thickness direction by glow discharge optical emission spectrometry, predetermined requirements are satisfied.