Amorphous Al-Mn Alloy Pre-Coated Steel Sheets by Molten-Salt Electrodeposition

In search for new corrosion-resistant coatings in application for body panels, chassis & power-train materials, exhaust systems and fuel tanks, a unique molten-salt electrodeposition process has been developed. Ultra-smooth lustrous Al-Mn alloy-coatings with amorphous structure were electroplated on a moving steel-strip at high current densities up to 80 A/dm² in a continuous bench-scaled electroplating apparatus. Amorphous Al-25wt%Mn alloy-plated steel can be as readily stamped, spot-welded and arc-welded as cold-rolled steel sheets. Al-Mn alloy pre-coated steel exhibited excellent corrosion-resistance in a variety of severe corrosive environments. Industrial-scale batch electroplating apparatus, capable of plating sheet size of 1 m x 1 m, is now under construction, and engineering developments for full-sized continuous strip plating facilities are under way.