Selective Oxidation of a Medium-Mn Third Generation Advanced High Strength Steel during Austenitizing and Intercritical Annealing

The effect of the simulated continuous galvanizing line N 2 −5 vol% H 2 process atmosphere oxygen partial pressure (pO 2 ) on the external and internal selective oxidation of a prototype medium-Mn third generation (3G) advanced high strength steel was determined during a two-stage heat treatment cycle (i.e., austenitizing and intercritical annealing) which had previously yielded 3G properties. Thick external oxides (∼200 nm) were observed after the austenitizing heat treatment, regardless of the process atmosphere pO 2 employed. An intermediate flash pickling step was successful in reducing the external oxide thickness significantly (to ∼30 nm) along with revealing some extruded metallic Fe nodules on the surface. The austenitizing heat treatment also resulted in a solute-depleted surface layer with a minimum thickness of 2 μ m. This solute-depleted layer inhibited the formation of external oxides during intercritical annealing, resulting in a surface similar to that observed after flash pickling comprising a near-pure Fe surface with isolated, nodular external oxides. These surfaces are promising in terms of successful reactive wetting of this prototype medium-Mn steel during subsequent continuous hot-dip galvanizing.