Development of a zinc-magnesium-aluminium metallic coating for use with pre-finished steels in the construction industry

概述：塔塔钢铁集团是世界十大钢铁制造商之一，分布在全球多个地点。英国塔塔钢铁公司的涂层产品部门每年生产超过25万吨的预涂漆钢，用于建筑市场的覆层应用。塔塔Shotton工厂生产的优质品牌产品通常得到长达40年的免维护保修支持，这一保修得到了广泛的全球气候变化计划数据的支持。传统上，所有优质品牌产品都使用锌(95%)/铝(5%)镀锌基板生产。然而，越来越多的证据表明，使用锌/镁合金的镀锌基板可以以较低的成本提供同等的性能。项目目标：使用已知的锌/镁合金生产的涂层产品容易出现柔韧性和丝状腐蚀问题。该项目的目标是考虑各种具有成本效益的合金化添加剂，如铝或硅衍生物，以优化镀锌锅化学成分，生产适用于彩涂产品制造的镀锌产品。研究工程师将生产实验室规模的各种成分的锌/镁镀锌钢板，并使用新型添加剂，并使用SVET、时间推移显微镜和加速暴露测试(如连续盐雾和附着力测试)来评估物理和腐蚀性能。这些技术将使他们能够在微观结构尺度上就地评估腐蚀机制。这种微观结构工程和腐蚀现场监测的结合是斯旺西大学独有的，将为研究工程师提供将冶金和腐蚀联系起来的不同技能。研究工程师将与Shotton镀锌团队密切合作，推荐锅化学并评估受控生产线试验产生的材料，并将对将技术从实验室转化为生产的过程进行关键的洞察。此外，通过与斯旺西大学金属涂层集团的整合，它将提供直接接触世界铅涂层制造和评估设备的机会，并有机会加入一个专注于下一代金属涂层的蓬勃发展的研究团队。预测结果：这项研究将提供与潜在的锅化学有关的信息，这些化学物质将用于开发塔塔·肖顿工厂的制造能力。

Overview:The Tata Steel group is among the world's 10 largest manufacturers of steel and is spread over various global locations. The Coated products division of Tata Steel UK produce over 250 KT per annum of pre-painted steel for cladding applications in the construction market. The premium branded products produced at the Tata Shotton site are often supported by maintenance free warranties for up to 40 years, which is backed up by data from an extensive global weathering program. Traditionally all premium branded products are produced using a Zinc(95%)/Al(5%) galvanised substrate. However, there is growing evidence that the galvanised substrates using Zn/Mg alloys can provide an equivalent performance at reduced cost.Project Aims:Coated products produced using known Zn/Mg alloys can be prone to problems with flexibility and filiform corrosion. The project will aim to consider various cost-effective alloying additions such as aluminium or silicon derivatives to optimise galvanising pot chemistries, to produce a galvanised product suitable for use in the manufacture of Colorcoat products.The Research Engineer will produce lab scale Zn/Mg galvanised steel panels of various compositions with novel additions, and assess the physical and corrosion performance using SVET, time-lapse microscopy and accelerated exposure tests such as continuous salt spray and prohesion testing. These techniques will then enable them to evaluate corrosion mechanisms in-situ at a microstructural scale. This combination of microstructural engineering and in-situ monitoring of corrosion is unique to Swansea University and will provide the research engineer with a diverse skill set linking metallurgy and corrosion.The Research Engineer will work work closely with the Shotton galvanising team to recommend pot chemistry and to evaluate material produced from controlled production line trials and will gain a critical insight into the process of taking technology from the lab to production. Furthermore, by being integrated with the metallic coatings group at Swansea University it will provide direct access to world lead coatings manufacturing and evaluation equipment and opportunity to join a thriving research group who are focused on next generation metallic coatings. Predicted outcome:The research will provide information relating to potential pot chemistries that will be used to develop manufacturing capability at the Tata Shotton site.