Development of PosMAC® Steel and Its Application Properties

Abstract

PosMAC® is a hot dipping Zn-Mg-Al coated steel sheet developed by POSCO. PosMAC®3.0 shows excellent anti-corrosion performance and is suitable for construction and solar energy systems in severe corrosive environments. PosMAC®1.5 has a superior surface quality and is preferred for automotive and home appliances. The advanced anti-corrosion properties of PosMAC® comes from a dense corroded layer which forms on coated surfaces, compared with traditional Zn coatings such as GI, GA and EG. PosMAC® steels show superior corrosion protection compared to GI coatings in cyclic corrosion tests, despite an approximate 30% reduction in coating weight. The PosMAC® has excellent application properties for the arc welding of automotive chassis. It has a heat resistance that is more robust than the GI coating, and maintains excellent corrosion protection near the welds of the chassis. Zn-Mg-Al coatings, whose chemical compositions are similar to PosMAC® coatings, have very low surface friction properties compared to the GI coating. The friction coefficient of PosMAC® is stabilized to 0.09~0.11. In contrast, the GI coating showed higher friction coefficients of 0.2~0.3 in the repeated friction test. PosMAC® would be appropriate for complex forming parts with less galling, given these low friction resistance properties. It is expected that the industrial demand for PosMAC® steel will increase in the near future, thanks to its Zn saving and high anti-corrosion performance.