Jetgal^® - Cold-stamping steels coated with zinc in an innovative and environmentally-friendly process

Jetgal^® is a zinc coating applied via the Jet Vapour Deposition (JVD) process. It is an innovative vacuum deposition process developed by ArcelorMittal and the CRM Group. It offers benefits including the following:

• Hydrogen-free coating process
• Environmentally-friendly process: its impact on global warming is much lower than that of other steel coating processes.
• Suitable for any metallurgy: JVD can be used to coat all future ultra high strength steels.

Due to their very good corrosion resistance, Jetgal^® products are recommended for numerous applications in the automotive industry.

As zinc is applied from a vapour, JVD is the only pure zinc application process which is capable of coating all current and future steel grades with pure zinc, whatever their alloying content.

As JVD is a hydrogen-free coating process, it also avoids any delayed failure problems in ultra high strength steels (UTS >1000 MPa).

The dimensional feasibility of Jetgal^® coatings depends on the choice of substrate steel grade (see relevant technical product sheets) and on the manufacturing path taken.

The surface quality obtained meets the most stringent requirements regarding surface topography. Jetgal^® coating does not change the initial roughness of the substrate.

The Jetgal^® coating consists of pure zinc and is therefore ductile, enabling it to withstand high rates of deformation. Suitable surface preparation prior to JVD ensures coating adhesion.

Unless otherwise specified, the standard coating thicknesses offered are 5 and 7.5 µm per side. However, other thicknesses may be considered. Please contact us for more information about other coating thicknesses.

The Jetgal^® coating is obtained from the zinc Jet Vapour Deposition (JVD process). The zinc coating thus obtained is of very high purity. The absence of heat treatment during the coating process enables Jetgal^® coatings to be offered without restriction on virtually all the steel grades developed by ArcelorMittal for the automotive industry.

Jetgal^® coatings offer excellent corrosion protection, even when damaged (impact, scratches, stone chips), due to the sacrificial electrochemical behaviour of zinc relative to iron.

Jetgal^® coatings have excellent intrinsic formability, making them suitable for the most severe drawing operations. The tribological behaviour of Jetgal^® coatings is slightly inferior to that of hot-dip coatings and can justify the use of an appropriate chemical surface treatment for the most challenging parts. ArcelorMittal has a range of in-line surface treatments. Please contact us if necessary.

Jetgal^® steels have a wide resistance spot weldability range suited to industrial requirements.

Like all zinc coatings, Jetgal^® films show good adhesive bonding behaviour: good adhesive and mastic adhesion to the coating, good adhesion of the coating to the metal and cohesion of the coating itself. The type of adhesive, jointing conditions, as well as the nature of the protective oil and any chemical treatment that may have been performed remain the factors with the greatest influence on bonding quality.

Jetgal^® products coated on one or both sides can be phosphated and painted at the user's premises using all current phosphating and paint processes.