Development of Novel Coatings for Hot Stamping Processes

塔塔是全球领先的汽车钢铁项目供应商之一。轻量化和提高耐撞性是目前汽车行业面临的两大关键挑战；热冲压是众所周知的方法，以提高某些部件的强度重量比，在这个行业中使用，使在较低的厚度相当的强度。这是通过将先进的高强度钢的马氏体硬化特性与深拉深工艺的好处联系起来，以提高塑性成形性能，同时消除回弹。在这个过程中，钢被加热到奥氏体化温度，形成，然后迅速冷却，以获得所需的显微组织性能。在此过程中可能会出现两个问题，首先在加热过程中会发生脱碳，这会对机械性能产生负面影响，其次会发生氧化，这意味着在成型前需要进行喷砂清洗。如果这些问题可以在不侵犯市场上现有知识产权的情况下得到解决，那么通过英国原始设备制造商（oem）的本地化供应，可以开发相当数量的新业务（约6000吨）。AlSi基涂料在满足其他关键OEM要求的同时，在解决这些挑战方面表现出了很大的希望，然而，在过去的20年里，安赛乐米塔尔已经申请了一系列专利，这意味着这项技术受到了很强的保护，因此，为了开发这一潜在的新业务，需要一种替代方案。项目目标/目标安赛乐米塔尔拥有强大的专利套件，保护其AlSi热浸涂层技术，这意味着需要寻求替代品。此外，AlSi基涂层仅提供屏障腐蚀保护，而不是通常在金属涂层钢中看到的电偶腐蚀。该项目将研究可用于提供电保护并在热冲压操作中存活的新型金属涂层。首先，将对可能的技术进行文献回顾，以相对于业务单位和最终用户确定的一组关键绩效指标（kpi）评估不同的解决方案类型。一旦这项工作完成，看起来有前途的技术将被选中进行实验室规模的可行性研究，其中一种可能的涂层沉积方法是斯旺西大学的热浸模拟器。涂层样品将被表征和测试，以确保其性能符合预期，所有这些发现将被报告。

BackgroundTata is one of the leading global suppliers of automotive steel projects. With light weighting and improvement of crashworthiness being 2 of the key challenges facing the automotive industry at present; hot stamping is well known approach for improving the strength to weight ratio of certain components used in this industry, enabling comparable strengths at lower thickness. This works through linking the martensitic hardening characteristic exhibited by advanced high strength steels with the well understood benefits of deep drawing processes to enhance plastic formability performance while eliminating spring back. In this process, the steel is heated to austenising temperatures, formed and then cooled rapidly to give the desired microstructural properties. Two problems can occur during this process, firstly decarburisation takes place during heating which can negatively affect mechanical properties, secondly oxidation occurs meaning there is a requirement for blast cleaning before forming. If these issues can be overcome without infringing on existing IP in the marketplace there is a considerable amount of new business (~6000t) which could be exploited through UK based Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) localising their supply. AlSi based coatings have shown a great deal of promise at solving these challenges while fulfilling other key OEM requirements, however Arcelor Mittal have filed a suite of patents over the last ~20 years meaning this technology is very strongly protected, therefore an alternative would be required in order to exploit this potential new business. Project Aims/ObjectivesArcelor Mittal has a strong suite of patents protecting their AlSi hot dip coating technology meaning that alternatives need to be sought. In addition, AlSi based coatings only offer barrier corrosion protection as opposed to galvanic corrosion which is typically seen in metallically coated steels. This project will examine novel metallic coatings which can be used to provide galvanic protection and survive the hot stamping operations. Firstly, a literature review of possible technologies will be performed to appraise different solution types relative to a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) determined by the business unit and end users. Once this is completed, technologies which appear promising will be down selected for a laboratory scale feasibility study, one possible method for coating deposition is the hot dip simulator at Swansea University. Coated samples will be characterised and tested to ensure their performance is in line with expectations and all of these findings will be reported.