Preservative steel plate having high resistance weldability, corrosion resistance and press formability for automobile fuel tanks

• US 6,361,881 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Nobuyoshi, Maki, Jun, Ohmori, Takayuki, Fuda, Masahiro, Izaki, Teruaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Deborah
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACKWELL, GWENDOLYN
• Application Number:
  US09/230,834
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 428/626, 428/34.1, 428/457, 428/582, 428/615, 219/121.64, 280/830, 296/185, 220/581
• US Class Current: 428/626
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/51 One specific pretreatment, e.g. phosphatation, chromatation, in combination with one specific coating pretreatment of metallic substrates C23C; pretreatment before coating in general B05D3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/00 Coating for obtaining at least two superposed coatings either by methods not provided for in a single one of groups C23C2/00 - C23C26/00 or by combinations of methods provided for in subclasses C23C and C25C or C25D
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/321 with at least one metal alloy layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/345 with at least one oxide layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12264 having outward flange, gripping means or interlocking feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12493 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12569 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]

Abstract

A coating aluminized steel sheet suitable for fuel tanks, which comprises (a) a steel sheet, (b) an aluminized-plating layer formed on one or both sides of the steel sheet and based on aluminum or an aluminum alloy containing 2-15 wt% silicon, and (c) a coating layer formed on at least one of the aluminizing layers and selected from the group consisting of i) a resin chromate film having a film thickness of 0.1-2 μm and containing a resin and a chromic acid compound, with the resin/metal chromium weight ratio in the range of 0.5-18, ii) an inorganic-based chromate film with the coating layer formed to 10-200 mg/m² in terms of metallic chromium, which comprises 100 parts by weight of a chromic acid compound in terms of metallic chromium and 100-1000 parts by weight of colloidal silica, and further comprises any one or more of 100-600 parts by weight of a phosphoric acid compound, 10-200 parts by weight of a phosphonic acid or phosphonic acid salt compound and less than 50 parts by weight of a resin, and iii) an inorganic-based chromate film with a coating amount of at least 10 mg/m² and less than 35 mg/m² in terms of metallic chromium. There are provided automobile fuel tanks with excellent durability, forming formability and weldability, and a seam welding process for fuel tanks.

Claims

1. A coated aluminized steel sheet suitable for fuel tanks, which consists of, in combination:

(a) a steel sheet,

(b) an aluminizing layer formed on one or both sides of said steel sheet and based on aluminum or an aluminum alloy containing 2-15 wt % silicon, and

(c) a coating layer formed on at least one of said aluminizing layers, said coating layer being one or more films selected from the group consisting of;

i) an organic and inorganic composite chromate film having a film thickness of 0.1-2 μ

m and containing a resin and a chromic acid compound, with the re sin/metal chromium weight ratio in the range of 0.5-18,

ii) an inorganic-based chromate film A with the coating layer formed to 10-200 mg/m² in terms of metallic chromium, which comprises 100 parts by weight of chromic acid in terms of metallic chromium and 100-1000 parts by weight of colloidal silica, and further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of 100-600 parts by weight of a phosphoric acid compound, 10-200 parts by weight of a phosphonic acid or phosphonic acid salt compound and less than 50 parts by weight of an organic resin, and

iii) an inorganic-based chromate film B with a coating amount of at least 10 mg/m² and less than 35 mg/m² in terms of metallic chromium.

2. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1, wherein said aluminizing layer is formed to 60 g/m² or less.

3. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1, wherein said composite chromate film further contains 0.5-20 wt % of a lubricant.

4. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1, wherein said composite chromate film further contains 100-600 parts by weight of a phosphoric acid compound and 100-1000 parts by weight of colloidal silica with respect to 100 parts by weight of metallic chromium.

5. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 4, wherein said composite chromate film further contains 10-200 parts by weight of a phosphonic acid or phosphonic acid salt compound with respect to 100 parts by weight of metallic chromium.

6. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1, which has said aluminizing layer on both sides of said steel sheet and which has said composite chromate film on the aluminizing layers on both sides.

7. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1 which has said aluminizing layer on both sides of said steel sheet, and which has said inorganic-based chromate film A on said aluminizing layers on both sides.

8. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1, which has said aluminizing layer on both sides of said steel sheet and which has said composite chromate film on said aluminizing layer on one side and an inorganic-based chromate film C with a coating amount of 200 mg/m² or less in terms of metallic chromium on said aluminizing layer on the other side.

9. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 8, wherein said inorganic-based chromate film C formed on said aluminizing layer further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid compounds, phosphonic acid and phosphonic acid salt compounds, and less than 50 parts by weight of a resin with respect to 100 parts by weight of metallic chromium.

10. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1, which has an inorganic-based chromate film C with a coating amount of 100 mg/m² or less in terms of metallic chromium between said aluminizing layer and said composite chromate film.

11. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 10, wherein said inorganic-based chromate film C formed between said aluminizing layer and said composite chromate film further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid compounds, phosphonic acid and phosphonic acid salt compounds, and less than 10 parts by weight of a resin with respect to 100 parts by weight of metallic chromium.

12. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1, which has said aluminizing layer on both sides of said steel sheet, and which has said inorganic-based chromate film B formed to 10-35 mg/M² in terms of metallic chromium on said aluminizing layers on both sides.

13. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1, which has said aluminizing layer on both sides of said steel sheet, and which has said composite chromate film on said aluminizing layer on one side and an inorganic resin film with a thickness of 0.1-2.0 μ

m on said aluminizing layer on the other side.

14. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 13, which has an inorganic-based chromate film C with a coating amount of 100 mg/m² or less in terms of metallic chromium between said aluminizing layer and at least one of said composite chromate film and said organic resin film.

15. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 14, wherein said inorganic-based chromate film C formed on said aluminizing layer further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid compounds, phosphonic acid and phosphonic acid salt compounds, and less than 50 parts by weight of a resin with respect to 100 parts by weight of metallic chromium.

16. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1, which has said aluminizing layer on both sides of said steel sheet and which has said inorganic-based chromate film B on said aluminizing layer on one side and an organic-based resin film on said aluminizing layer on t he other side.

17. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 16, wherein said inorganic-based chromate film B is formed to 200 mg/m² in terms of metallic chromium.

18. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 17, wherein said inorganic-based chromate film formed on said aluminizing layer further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid compounds, phosphonic acid and phosphonic acid salt compounds, and less than 50 parts by weight of a resin with respect to 100 parts by weight of metallic chromium.

19. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 17, which has an inorganic-based chromate film C with a coating amount of 100 mg/m² or less in terms of metallic chromium between said aluminizing layer and said organic resin film.

20. A coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 19, wherein said inorganic-based chromate film C formed between said aluminizing layer and said organic resin film further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid compounds, phosphonic acid and phosphonic acid salt compounds, and less than 5 parts by weight of a resin with respect to 100 parts by weight of metallic chromium.

21. A fuel tank produced with a coating aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1 above.

25. An automobile fuel tank according to claim 22, wherein said coated aluminized steel sheets are coated aluminized steel sheets according to claim 1.

29. The process according to claim 26 above, wherein said resin film formed on the surface of said aluminized steel sheet is an organic/inorganic composite chromate film according to claim 1 above.

30. The process according to claim 26, wherein said coated aluminized steel sheet is a coated aluminized steel sheet according to claim 1.

22. An automobile fuel tank wherein a pair of bowl-shaped bodies with flanges are integrated by continuous seam-welding of the flange substances, the automobile fuel tank being characterized in that the materials of which said bowl-shaped bodies are made are coating aluminized steel sheets which consist of aluminized steel sheets each having on one or both sides an aluminizing layer based on aluminum or an aluminum alloy containing 2-13 wt % silicon, and having a resin coating on the uppermost surface of the inner and/or outer side.

23. An automobile fuel tank according to claim 22 above, wherein said resin coating is an organic and inorganic composite chromate film consisting of a mixture of a resin and a chromic acid compound.

24. An automobile fuel tank according to claim 22 above, wherein said resin coating has a thickness of 0.1-2 μ

m.

26. A seam welding process for fuel tanks, in which two coated aluminized steel sheets are combined which are aluminized steel sheets each having formed on one or both sides an aluminizing layer based on aluminum or an aluminum alloy containing 2-13 wt % silicon and having a resin coating formed on the one or both sides thereof, wherein said coated aluminized steel sheets have said aluminizing layer at least on the side corresponding to the inner side of the fuel tank, a resin film is provided on at least one of the steel sheet surfaces at the side where the steel sheets meet and/or on at least one of the steel sheet surfaces at the side where it contacts with an electrode wheel, and said two combined steel sheets are then seam welded between a pair of electrode wheels.

27. The process according to claim 26 above, wherein said resin film contains chromic acid at 10-200 mg/m² in terms of Cr.

28. The process according to claim 27 above, wherein said resin film has a thickness of 0.1-2 μ

m.