Abstract
Hot-dipped Al-Mg-Si coatings to alternate Zn and Zn alloy coatings for steel were examined on metallographic structure, corrosion resistance, sacrificial ability, formation and growth of inter-metallic compounds, and mechanical properties. Near the eutectic composition of quasi-binary system of Al-$Mg_2Si$, very fine eutectic structure of ${\alpha}$-Al and $Mg_2Si$ was obtained and it showed excellent corrosion resistivity and sacrificial ability for a steel in sodium chloride solutions. Formation and growth of Al-Fe inter-metallic compounds at the interface of substrate steel and coated layer was suppressed by addition of Si. The inter-metallic compounds layer was usually brittle, however, the coating layer did not peel off as long as the thickness of the inter-metallic compounds layer was small enough. During sacrificial protection of a steel, amount of hydrogen into the steel was more than ten times smaller than that of Zn coated steel, suggesting to prevent hydrogen embrittlement. Al-Mg-Si coating is expected to apply for several kinds of high strength steels.