12th International Conference on Zinc & Zinc Alloy Coated Steel Sheet - GALVATECH 2021

In a molten zinc bath in a continuous galvanizing line, top dross particles crystallize as Fe-Al-Zn intermetallic compounds. These par¬ticles easily adhere to the steel sheets causing surface defects. Therefore, controlling the top dross particles is a key issue. The present study focused on the structural and mechanical characterizations of top dross particles using an electron probe micro analyzer, X-ray diffraction, electron back scattering diffraction, and Vickers hardness measurement. The following results were obtained: (1) The crystal structure of top dross particles Fe2Al5Znx having Fe: 37~38 wt%, Al: 44~45 wt% and Zn: 18~19 wt% belongs to the orthorhombic system with a lattice constant of a=7.61 Å, b=6.48 Å and c=4.23 Å. The a axis of Fe2Al5Znx becomes shorter, while the b and c axes become longer compared to those of binary Fe2Al5. (2) Top dross crystallizes with clear facet planes. (3) The hardness and the elastic modulus of the top dross particles are the lowest in the [001] direction like Fe2Al5, and are lower than those of Fe2Al5. (4) The fracture toughness of top dross particles is approximately 1.1 MPa·m1/2, which is slightly lower than that of Fe2Al5. The structure of top dross particle containing Zn will be discussed in detail.