IMPROVEMENT OF WELDABILITY OF HOT-DIP GALVANIZED STEEL BY ANTI-GALVANIZING COATING WITH Si-Fe-Al OXIDE-BASED MICROPOWDER

A Si-Fe-Al ternary oxide-based micropowder coating was used to prevent the formation of a Zn coating on steel during the hot-dip Zn galvanizing process to reduce the welding fume and defects generated during the welding of Zn-galvanized steel. The composition ratio of the oxide powder was optimized and its microstructure and weldability were evaluated. The optimized oxide coating was stable in the hot-dip galvanizing bath at 470 degrees C and effectively inhibited the formation of Zn coating. The Zn residue could be easily removed with simple mechanical impact. The proposed coating reduced Zn fume and prevented the residual Zn from melting in the weld bead during high-temperature welding, thus reducing the number of welding defects. The results indicated that this pretreatment can simplify the manufacturing process and shorten the process time cost-effectively.