The main focus of the thesis is the proposal for the construction of welding jig for the extension of the bus. Welding of individual parts of the assembly is on manual workplace. All parts are made of fabricated structural steel ČSN 41 1373 with galvannealed coating. As an appropriate technology for welding of extension with the optimal parameters method MAG was chosen.

This master´s thesis deals with hot dip galvanizing of steel constructions and their protection from corrosion. This work describes the origin of corrosion of steel and its corrosion in different areas and presents degreasing and pickling before hot dip galvanization. It describes possibilities of making zinc layer by the wet and draw method of hot dip galvanization. Furthermore, it puts forward reactions between zinc and iron, possible defects of the zinc layer and influence of the hot dip galvanizing on the steel constructions. The experimental part examines the influence of the hydrogen charging on the material and the time of the flux operation on the quality of layer. The work further analyses the changing of mechanical properties of steels Hardox 500 and Weldox 700 as a result of the hydrogen embrittlement during pickling by the hydrochloric acid.

Third-generation advanced high-strength steels (3G AHSS) are being developed to assist in vehicle light weighting so that fuel efficiency may be improved without sacrificing passenger safety. 3G-AHSS have received significant interest from the automotive industry as a critical candidate for their unique combination of high strength and ductility. However, due to selective oxidation of the principal alloying elements such as Mn, Si, Al, and Cr at the steel surface during the annealing stage prior to immersion in the galvanizing Zn(Al, Fe) bath, the process of continuous hot-dip galvanizing of these steel is challenging. This thesis determined the influence of annealing process parameters such as oxygen partial pressure and annealing time, on the selective oxidation and reactive wetting of an Fe-0.15C-5.56Mn-1.17Si-1Al (wt%) prototype 3G AHSS during intercritical annealing as well as continuous galvanizing. Simulated annealing and galvanizing were conducted on the prototype Fe-0.15C-5.56Mn-0117Si-1Al (wt%) 3G steel; Intercritical annealing heat treatments were carried out at 690˚C in a N2-5 vol pct H2 process atmosphere under dew points of 223 K (–50 °C), 243 (–30 °C) and 268 K (–5 °C). MnO was the major oxide formed at the outmost layer of the external oxides on all annealed samples. The experimental parameters, on the other hand, had a substantial impact on the morphology, distribution, thickness, and surface oxide coverage. The greatest Mn surface concentration as well as maximum surface oxide coverage and thickness was obtained by annealing the panels under the 223 K (–50 °C) and 243 (–30 °C) dp process atmospheres. The oxides formed under these process atmospheres largely comprised coarse, compact, and continuous film nodules. In contrast, MnO nodules formed under the 268 K (–5 °C) dewpoint process, exhibited wider spacing between finer and thinner nodules, which was consistent with the internal oxidation mode, while under 223 K (–50 °C) dp process atmosphere, generally external oxidation took place. Poor reactive wetting was obtained for the panels annealed under the 223 K (–50 °C) dp process atmosphere for both the 60 s and 120 s holding times as well as the 243 K (–30 °C) dp process atmosphere for 120 s. This was attributed to the formation of a thick, compact oxide layer on the steel surface, which acted as a barrier between the substrate and Zn bath, preventing Fe dissolution from the substrate surface for the formation of the desired Fe2Al5Znx interfacial layer. However, a well-developed interfacial Fe-Al intermetallic layer was formed under the 268 K (–5 °C) and 243 (–30 °C) dp process atmospheres for intercritical annealing times of 60 s, which is indicative of a good reactive wetting since the thinner and nodule-like oxides on the steel surface after annealing encourage the reactive wetting. External oxides morphology plays a dominant role in facilitating the contact between Zn-alloy bath and the substrate via different mechanisms such as aluminothermic reduction which occurred for the sample annealed under the 268 K (–5 °C) dp process atmosphere. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

No description available.

<p> Intercritically annealed steels, such as dual-phase steels, have found widespread use in automotive structural components due to their high strength and ductility. Elements such as Mn, Al and Si, added to improve the mechanical properties are selectively oxidized during heat treatment and limit the ability of the alloy to be reactively wet during continuous hot-dip galvanizing. Subsequently, a limit has been placed on the amount of alloy which can be used if the steel is to be subsequently galvanized. The specifics of this limit have not been explored in detail, nor has the mechanism of decreased wettability been well demonstrated in the literature other than to say that the galvanizing reaction is limited by oxides on the surface.</p> <p> Using a force balance, it is shown that the presence of MnO on the surface of steels greatly reduces the wettability with a typical galvanizing bath (Zn-0.2wt%Al, Fe-saturated, 460°C). Furthermore, it was determined that this is caused by the additional and rate-limiting step of aluminothermic reduction of the oxide layer with the bath Al, required for subsequent inhibition layer formation. By using a low pO2 during annealing, the wettability was improved by reducing the thickness of the MnO layer when compared to intermediate and industrially common values of pO2. Using a high pO2 also resulted in improved wettability since the internal oxide which was formed did not reduce the wettability since it was not exposed to the bath alloy.</p> <p> Improvements in hardenability were also explored via dilatometry showing that the formation of bainite is delayed with increasing Mn content, as well as a decrease in transformation temperatures from γ during cooling (i.e. Ms and Bs). At ~5wt% Mn, only the the transformation to αM could be observed. This opens the door to higher strength, galvanized steels - as well as possibly galvanized martensitic steels.</p> / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

<p> Aluminum is usually added to the zinc bath to form an Fe-Al interfacial layer which retards the formation of a series of Fe-Zn intermetallic compounds during the hot-dip galvanizing process. However, experimentally exploring the inhibition layer formation and obtaining useful experimental data to understand the mechanisms is quite challenging due to short times involved in this process. In this study, a galvanizing simulator was used to perform dipping times as short as O.ls and rapid spot cooling techniques have been applied to stop the reaction between the molten zinc coating and steel substrate as quickly as possible. In addition, the actual reaction time has been precisely calculated through the logged sample time and temperature during the hot-dipping process. The kinetics and formation mechanism of the inhibition layer was characterized using SEM, ICP and EBSD based on the total reaction time. For bath containing 0.2wt% dissolved AI, the results show that FeA13 nucleates and grows during the initial stage of the inhibition layer formation and then Fe2Als forms by a diffusive transformation. The evolution of the interfacial layer formed in a zinc bath with 0.13wt% dissolved AI, including Fe-Aland Fe-Zn intermetallic compounds, was a result of competing reactions. In the initial period, the Fe-Al reaction dominated due to high thermodynamic driving forces. After the zinc concentration reached a critical composition in the substrate grain boundaries, formation of Fe-Zn intermetallic compounds was kinetically favoured. Fe-Zn intermetallic compounds formed due to zinc diffusing to the substrate via short circuit paths and continuously grew by consuming Fe-Al interfacial layer after samples exited the zinc bath due to the limited Al supply. A mathematical model to describe the formation kinetics as a function of temperature for the 0.2wt% Al zinc bath was proposed. It indicated that the development of microstructure of the interfacial layer had significant influence on the effective diffusion coefficient and growth of this layer. However, the model underestimates the AI uptake by the interfacial layer, particularly at higher temperatures. This is thought to be due to the effect of the larger number of triple junctions in the inhibition layer leading to an underestimation of the effective diffusivity. </p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Third generation advanced high-strength steels (3G-AHSS) have received significant interest from leading auto steel industries and OEMs as candidate materials for reduced mass Body In White (BIW) components due to their unique combination of high specific strength and ductility. However, the continuous hot-dip galvanizing of these steels is challenging due to selective oxidation of the main alloying elements such as Mn, Si, Al and Cr at the steel surface during the annealing step prior to immersion in the galvanizing Zn(Al, Fe) bath, as extensive coverage of the substrate surface by these oxides is detrimental to reactive wetting, good coating adhesion and integrity. Simulated galvanizing treatments were conducted on two prototype Fe-0.1C-6Mn-2Si (wt pct) 3G steels; one as the reference steel and the other with 0.05 wt pct Sn added to the composition. The combined effects of annealing temperature, time, process atmosphere oxygen partial pressure and 0.05 wt pct Sn addition on the selective oxidation of the steel substrates were determined. Subsequently, the reactive wetting of the steels with respect to the pre-immersion surface structures of the samples annealed for 120 s was examined. Annealing heat treatments were carried out at 800˚C and 690˚C in a N2-5 vol pct H2 process atmosphere under three dew points of –50˚C, –30˚C and +5˚C, covering process atmosphere oxygen partial pressures within the range of 1.20  10-27 atm to 1.29  10-20 atm. MnO was present at the outmost layer of the external oxides on all samples after annealing. However, the morphology, distribution, thickness and surface coverage were significantly affected by the experimental variables. Annealing the reference steel under the low dew point process atmospheres, i.e. –50˚C and –30˚C, resulted in the highest Mn surface concentration as well as maximum surface oxide coverage and thickness. The oxides formed under these process atmospheres generally comprised coarse, compact and continuous film forming nodules, whereas the surface morphologies and distributions obtained under the +5˚C dew point process atmosphere, which was consistent with the internal oxidation mode, exhibited wider spacing between finer and thinner MnO nodules. The grain boundary internal oxide networks had a multi layer structure with SiO2 and MnSiO3 at the oxide cores and shells, respectively. Significant morphological changes were obtained as a result of Sn addition. The continuous film-like external MnO nodules were modified to a fine and discrete globular morphology, with less surface coverage by the oxides and reduced external oxide thickness. Both the external and internal oxidations followed parabolic growth kinetics, where the depth of the internal oxidation zone decreased with Sn addition and decreasing oxygen partial pressure. Poor reactive wetting was observed for the reference steel substrates that were annealed for 120 s under the –50˚C and –30˚C dew point process atmospheres at 800˚C and under the –50˚C dew point atmosphere at 690˚C, such that no integral metallic coating was formed after the 4 s immersion in the Zn(Al, Fe) bath. By contrast, excellent coating quality was obtained for the Sn-added steels when the –30˚C and +5˚C dew point process atmospheres were employed when annealing at 690˚C. The remainder of the experimental conditions demonstrated good reactive wetting with intermediate coating quality. For the two reference steels annealed at 800˚C under the –50˚C and –30˚C dew point process atmospheres, poor reactive wetting was due to full coverage of the surface by 116 nm and 121 nm thick and continuous MnO films. In the case of the 690˚C  –50˚C reference steel with the external layer thickness of only 35 nm, however, poor wetting was attributed to substantial coverage of the surface by continuous, film-like oxides. In both cases, exposure of the underlying substrate to the bath alloy and an intimate contact between the substrate Fe and the bath dissolved Al could not take place and the formation of the Fe2Al5Znx interfacial layer was hidered. For the processing conditions that satisfactory reactive wetting was obtained despite the pre-immersion selective oxidation of the surfaces, several reactive wetting mechanisms were determined. For the samples with a sufficiently thin external MnO layer, good reactive wetting was attributed to partial reduction of MnO by the bath dissolved Al, as well as bridging of the Mn sub-oxides by the Zn coating or Fe2Al5Znx interfacial intermetallics. Partial or full formation of the Fe2Al5Znx interfacial layer was observed in the successfully galvanized substrates with Fe-Al crystals formed between, underneath and also on top of the reduced oxides. Furthermore, for cases with widely-spaced, fine oxide nodules, it was found that the liquid bath alloy was able to infiltrate the external oxide/substrate interface, resulting in surface oxide lift-off and enhanced coating adhesion. It was globally concluded that the thin, discrete and fine globular morphology of external MnO, resultant of annealing the steel substrates with 0.05 wt pct Sn addition under the process atmosphere oxygen partial pressures consistent with internal oxidation, allowed for an enhanced reactive wetting by the Zn(Al, Fe) galvanizing bath which was manifested by increased amount of Al uptake and population of the Fe2Al5Znx intermetallics at the coating/steel interface. / Thesis / Doctor of Science (PhD)

Despite the high demand for press-hardenable steel (PHS) with coatings that provide sacrificial cathodic protection, Zn-based coatings have experienced limited use due to the significant challenges associated with avoiding liquid metal embrittlement (LME) while maintaining robust cathodic protection when using conventional PHS materials and processing techniques. The present research addresses these challenges by reducing the conventional direct hot press forming (DHPF) temperature to between 600–700 °C, such that forming and quenching occurs well below the Zn(Fe)liq → Г-Fe3Zn10 peritectic temperature of 782 °C, thereby removing the conditions necessary for LME to occur while allowing for formation of the cathodically-protective Г-Fe3Zn10 phase. The objective of this work was to define a process window for two galvanized prototype PHS alloys with compositions of 0.20C-2.01Mn-0.26Si-0.005B and 0.19C-2.5Mn-0.26Si-0.005B (wt%) that would result in fully martensitic microstructures, tensile strengths (TS) ≥ 1500 MPa, and robust cathodic protection, defined as attaining ≥ 15 vol% Г-Fe3Zn10 in the coating microstructure, while avoiding LME. Accomplishing this task involved characterizing both grades as a function of austenization time, stamping temperature, and strain imposed by the forming process in order to define process windows that resulted in parts that met the aforementioned property requirements. It was found that the approach of increasing the Mn content relative to conventional PHS grades was successful in improving the hardenability sufficiently to enable the formation of fully martensitic microstructures despite the lower effective cooling rates associated with the reduced DPHF temperatures. Microstructural imaging and tensile testing demonstrated that, for both prototype PHS grades, a process window exists for the production of parts that satisfy the targets of the formation of fully martensitic microstructures and TS ≥ 1500 MPa while exhibiting uniform elongation of about 0.05 followed by significant post-uniform elongation. The effect of DHPF temperature and strain imposed by the forming process on mechanical properties was found to be negligible. Tensile tests and fractography revealed that reducing the DHPF temperature to between 600–700 °C was successful in preventing LME, thereby allowing samples to fracture in a ductile manner. Micro-cracking in the coating of the DHPF part was observed; however, these cracks were arrested at the coating-substrate interface. For all tested conditions, the coating met the target of ≥ 15 vol% Г-Fe3Zn10, implying that robust cathodic protection is expected. Based on the results of these experiments, it was concluded that DHPF process windows that meet all of the property targets include austenization times and DHPF temperatures of 120–180 s and 600–700 °C, respectively, for the 2Mn grade, and 60–180 s and 600–700 °C, respectively, for the 2.5Mn grade. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Recently, Zn-XAl-YMg coatings have emerged as lighter-weight substitutes for traditional Zn-based coatings for the corrosion protection of steels; however, little is currently known concerning the interactions between the oxides present on advanced high strength steel (AHSS) surfaces and the Zn-Al-Mg bath. In the current contri- bution, the selective oxidation and reactive wetting of a series of C-Mn AHSS were determined with the objective of providing a quantitative description of this pro- cess. The process atmosphere pO2 was varied using dew points of −50◦C, −30◦C and −5◦C. The surface oxide chemistry and morphology were analysed by means of SEM and XPS techniques. Reactive wetting of the selectively oxidized surfaces using a Zn-1.6 wt.% Al-1.6 wt.% Mg bath was monitored as a function of annealing time at 60 s, 100 s and 140 s at 800◦C. The resulting bare spot defects in the Zn-1.6 wt.% Al-1.6 wt.% Mg coating were assessed by means of SAM-AES and FIB, while coating adhesion was analysed by 180◦ bend tests. Annealing the steel substrates resulted in the formation of surface MnO, which varied based on pO2 and Mn alloy content, and that this MnO greatly reduced the wettability of the steel by the Zn-1.6 wt.% Al- 1.6 wt.% Mg bath, resulting in bare spot defects. It was determined that the reactive wetting of the steel substrate was dependant on the oxide morphology and oxidation mode, which was a function of both alloying content of Mn in the steel and annealing pO2 process atmosphere (dew point). Finally, it was concluded that the bare spot area percentage on the coated panels was statistically invariant for annealing times of between 60 s and 140 s at 800◦C. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / Metallic coatings are applied to steels that are not naturally corrosion resistant. The aim of this research was to determine how well a coating containing zinc, aluminum and magnesium adhered to high strength automotive steel. It was deter- mined that manganese oxides formed on the steel during heating prior to applying the metallic coating. The manganese oxides prevented good adhesion between the steel and the coating, resulting in bare spot defects in the coating. The bare spot defects are undesirable as they leave the steel exposed and therefore susceptible to corrosion and are unsightly when painted.

This report includes development of an already designed solar water heater. The product shall be constructed in a way that it will suit a manufacturing line in Kampala, Uganda. To find the most suitable design for each area a research was carried out which included study visits, interviews and background reading. It provided the following results: Regarding the attachment of in- and outgoing pipes from the water tank many methods were taken into consideration and it was found that the best and most suitable way for this case is to weld the fittings using a weld robot. Regarding the fitting of the acrylic, a suitable solution is to make a flange when vacuum forming the plastic casing to further support the design. This could also be used to waterproof the case by using a sealing material. A suggestion of using pre-molded PU-foam is also presented. Regarding the ability to open the case for maintenance, two solutions were recommended. Either the use of spire clips or having the clips integrated into the casing. Regarding the calculation of material usage when deep drawing the tank and collector, it is possible to do a reasonably accurate assumption. The complicated design in this product makes the estimation less accurate. It is recommended that test draws are done and often the machine producer has more precise numbers. Regarding the coloring of the collector; chemical coloration is not possible on a galvanized surface. The method used is painting, either with powder coating or with wet paint.