Abstract
Fe-C binary alloys, Fe-Si binary alloys, Fe-C-Si ternary alloys and several commercial alloys were immersed in a pure zinc bath at 733 K for 600 s, and the structures and the thicknesses of alloy layers formed and quantities of iron having reacted with zinc were measured, in order to clarify the effect of carbon and silicon in steel on the Fe-Zn reaction.
The reactivity of Fe-C binary alloys does not depend on the carbon concentration. The reactivity of Fe-Si binary alloys increases up to about 0.1 mass%Si, decreases in a region of 0.25 mass%Si and then increases with increasing silicon concentration. It is found that the carbon and silicon in steel have the interaction on the Fe-Zn reaction, and in the high silicon concentration the carbon promotes the growth of a zeta layer and suppresses the growth of a (delta 1+eta) mixture layer which is promoted by the silicon.
