Environmental gasoline tank

• US 5,455,122 A
• Filed: 01/17/1995
• Issued: 10/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Revere Copper Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Louis Berkman Company
• Inventors: Zamanzadeh, Mehrooz, Carey, Jay F. II
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, JOHN J
• Application Number:
  US08/373,533
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 428/659, 428/685, 428/658, 428/935, 428/939, 428/646, 428/647, 428/648, 428/650, 428/674, 428/675, 148/242, 427/433
• US Class Current: 428/659
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/015 the said other metal being copper or nickel or an alloy thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/18 comprising iron or steel B32B15/011, B32B15/012 and B32B15/013 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 2/06 Zinc or cadmium or alloys based thereon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/939 Molten or fused coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12792 Zn-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12799 Next to Fe-base component [e.g., galvanized]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1291 Next to Co-, Cu-, or Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12937 Co- or Ni-base component next to Fe-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12979 Containing more than 10% nonferrous elements [e.g., high alloy, stainless]

Abstract

A corrosion-resistant, environmentally-safe gasoline tank for motor vehicles, wherein the components of the gasoline tank are made of a metal material having a hot-dipped coating of zinc-tin applied to the exposed surfaces of the metal material. The tin-zinc coating includes at least 15 weight percent tin and at least 7 weight percent zinc. The tin-zinc alloy may also include metal additives such as nickel, antimony and/or bismuth.

Claims

1. A coated metal strip for use in a petroleum receptacle, said strip being coated by a continuous hot dip process with a low reflecting, highly corrosive-resistant, two-phase tin-zinc metallic coating alloy especially for corrosive environments, said coating comprising a majority of zinc and having about 0.3-1.0 percent nickel by weight and at least 15 percent tin by weight.

2. A coated metal strip as defined in claim 1, wherein said metallic coating includes at least 0.05 weight percent metallic stabilizer.

3. A coated metal strip as defined in claim 1, wherein said metal material is a metal selected from the group consisting of carbon steel, stainless steel and copper.

4. A coated metal strip as defined in claim 3, wherein said nickel layer thickness does not exceed three microns.

5. A coated metal strip as defined in claim 1, wherein said coating comprises:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ Tin 15.0-35.0% Zinc 65.0-85.0% Nickel 0.3-1.0% Bismuth 0.0-1.7% Antimony 0.0-7.5% Iron 0.0-0.1% Lead 0.0-0.05% Copper 0.0-2.0% ______________________________________

6. A coated metal strip as defined in claim 5, wherein said metallic coating includes at least 0.05 weight percent metallic stabilizer.

7. A coated metal strip as defined in claim 6, wherein said nickel content ranges from 0.3-0.9.

8. A coated metal strip as defined in claim 7, wherein said nickel content is about 0.7 weight percent.

9. A coated metal strip as defined in claim 6, wherein said lead is less than 0.01 weight percent of said coating.

10. A coated metal strip as defined in claim 5, wherein said nickel content ranges from 0.3-0.9.

11. A coated metal strip as defined in claim 5, wherein said lead is less than 0.01 weight percent of said coating.

12. A coated metal strip as defined in claim 5, wherein the surface of said metal material is plated with a thin nickel layer prior to applying said two-phase metallic coating.

13. A stainless steel strip especially for corrosive environments with a hot-dipped continuously applied alloy coating of less than 0.05 inches to provide an additional corrosive-resistant surface on said stainless steel strip, said alloy coating comprising a majority of zinc, at least 15 percent by weight tin and about 0.3-1.0 percent nickel by weight.

14. A stainless steel strip as defined in claim 13, wherein said alloy includes a majority of zinc.

15. A stainless steel strip as defined in claim 13, wherein said alloy also includes up to 2.0 percent by weight copper.

16. A steel strip with a hot-dipped continuously applied alloy coating of less than 0.05 inches to provide an additional corrosive-resistant surface on said steel strip, said alloy coating comprising a majority of zinc, at least 15 percent by weight tin and about 0.3-1.0 percent nickel by weight.

17. A steel strip as defined in claim 16, wherein said alloy also includes a metallic stabilizer.

18. A steel strip as defined in claim 16, wherein said alloy also includes up to 2.0 percent by weight copper.