Opportunities and challenges for galvanized steel sheets in Europe

Abstract

There is increasing social and political focus on a global solution to reduce CO2 vehicle emissions and
to conserve diminishing raw material resources. This is leading to ever stricter environmental regulations and
consequently new challenges for steel users in Europe. These challenges must be supported by the steel
producers, who can also look to find new opportunities through innovative solutions to increase the
competitiveness of steel against other materials such as aluminum.
This paper presents answers for many of the challenges being faced by the steel industry.
These are demonstrated with reference to the continual development of the galvanizing process, the
coating of ultra high strength steels, new coatings for hot forming products and highly corrosion resistant zinc
magnesium based alloy coatings.