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Demands for highly corrosion resistant coated steel are growing. As a result, Zn-Al-Mg coatings were developed. The possibilities of these coatings were investigated and the thermodynamics of the Zn-rich corner of the Zn-Al-Mg system were modelled. Different Zn-Al-Mgcoatings were produced and the microstructure was studied. Simulations of the solidification microstructures were carried out. The properties of the different coatings, like corrosion resistance and formability, were investigated. The thermodynamic model fairly accurately predicted the liquidus and transformation temperatures for low amounts of Al (≤4wt%) and Mg (≤3wt%). In the coatings the MgZn2 phase was present instead of the thermodynamically stable Mg2Zn11. The coatings with 3wt%Mg consisted of primary Al-fcc, MgZn2 crystals and ternary Zn-hcp/Alfcc/ MgZn2 eutectic. The addition of small amounts of Mg to a galvanizing bath caused a Znhcp/ MgZn2 eutectic to grow at the grain boundaries. Mg additions to a Zn+5wt%Al bath resulted in coarsening of the Zn-hcp/Al-fcc eutectic when added in small amounts and, when added in larger amounts (>0.2wt%Mg), a ternary Zn-hcp/Al-fcc/MgZn2 eutectic appeared. Cyclic corrosion tests and bending tests showed that the addition of Mg greatly enhanced the corrosion resistance, but decreased the cracking resistance of the coatings.

High strength multiphase CMnSi steel is increasingly used in passenger cars. Si and Mn alloying levels are typically in the range of 1-2% in mass. While Si improves the mechanical properties, it considerably deteriorates the galvanisability of steel. Residual water vapour in the reducing gas atmosphere during the intercritical or austenitic annealing results in the selective oxidation of Si and Mn at the steel surface. Besides Mn and Si, C is oxidized as well at the steel surface, leading to the formation of CO gas and decarburisation of the steel surface. This decarburisation has a major influence on the phase composition in the steel surface region: it shifts the ferrite to austenite transformation to higher annealing temperatures, leading to differences in surface and bulk microstructure. The phase composition influences the solubility and diffusivity of all alloying elements near the surface. The evolution with temperature of the selective oxidation at the steel surface has been studied by interrupted annealing in a protective atmosphere containing residual water vapour. The influence of the annealing temperature on the selective oxidation of Mn and Si is characterized by XPS (X-ray Photo-electron Spectroscopy) analysis.