摘要 |
A method of preparing the surfaces of steel strip and sheet stock for fluxless hot dip metallic coating, comprising the steps of passing the stock through a first heating section under conditions which form a visible iron oxide layer on the stock surfaces within the color range of dark straw through blue, continuing the heating of the stock in a second heating section isolated from the first heating section in an atmosphere containing less than 5% hydrogen by volume, thereby preserving the oxide layer, and cooling the stock approximately to the temperature of the molten coating metal in a cooling zone containing a reducing atmosphere comprising at least 10% hydrogen by volume, whereby to reduce the oxide layer completely to a metallic iron surface wettable by the coating metal. The radiant energy absorptivity of the steel stock is increased by the formation and preservation of the iron oxide layer in the first and second heating sections.
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