Chairholders

Profile

Joseph McDermid

Department of Materials Science and Engineering
McMaster University

Chair title

NSERC/Stelco Industrial Research Chair in Advanced Coated Steels

Chair program

Industrial Research Chairs program

Role

Senior Chairholder since 2003

Summary

One of the most efficient ways of increasing vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing transportation-based greenhouse gas emissions is by reducing vehicle mass while maintaining or improving vehicle safety. A cost-effective means of accomplishing these objectives is through the use of advanced high-strength steels (AHSSs) in the body structures, allowing material cross-sections to be reduced while maintaining safety. However, thinner steel cross-sections require corrosion protection for both durability and safety. Continuous galvanizing is the most cost-efficient means of protecting steels against corrosion, but there are processing difficulties due to the higher alloy content of AHSS – in particular manganese (Mn), silicon (Si) and chromium (Cr). These elements have a propensity to form oxides on the sheet surface during pre-dip annealing, which can result in defects in the zinc (Zn) coating.

The first three terms of the Chairholder’s IRC focused on the fundamentals of how surface oxides and their microstructure interact with the galvanizing bath to form high-quality coatings. This research mainly involved the so-called first-generation (1G) AHSSs currently in production and the newer medium-Mn third-generation (3G) steels based on the 0.1C [carbon]-6Mn-2Si system , with minor additions of surface-active elements such as tin (Sn). These investigations have allowed the Chairholder to define the relationship between selective external oxide morphology and reactive wetting by the continuous galvanizing line bath. This research has allowed the industry to simultaneously design alloys and surfaces such that these alloys can be successfully galvanized. Using the program platform of the IRC, the Chairholder also leveraged his research program for other steel-related research, such as Zn-coated press-hardened steels for safety applications and aqueous corrosion. Overall, the Chairholder has trained 50 graduate-level highly qualified personnel (HQP) since the inception of the IRC in 2003, the vast majority of whom are currently employed in Canadian industry or academia.

During the renewal term of the IRC, the Chairholder will continue to focus on the control of surfaces for medium-Mn 3G AHSS, extending the research to allow higher levels of Mn and Si and to investigate other surface-active element additions, such as antimony (Sb) and bismuth (Bi). We will also be extending our work on the 0.1C-6Mn-2Si-xSn alloys to the Zn-Al [aluminum]-Mg coating system, to design surfaces that can be successfully coated by this promising system. These projects will emphasize simultaneously designing for mechanical properties and coatability through a multidisciplinary approach involving surface science, selective oxidation thermodynamics and kinetics and fundamental knowledge of steel physical metallurgy and microstructure/property relationships. The renewal term of the IRC will directly train eight HQP for the economically vital Canadian steel industry and provide the industry with fundamental knowledge concerning the metallic coating of advanced steels, contributing to their competitive advantage.

Partner

• Stelco Inc.

Contact information

Department of Materials Science and Engineering
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario

Tel.: 905-525-9140, ext. 27476
Fax: 905-572-7944
Email: mcdermid@mcmaster.ca

Website:
http://materials.mcmaster.ca/?page_id=112&cn-entry-slug=joseph-mcdermid