Pre-oxidized, coating-free press hardened steel

A press hardened, pre-oxidized steel sheet for a vehicle component, comprising:

• a surface;
• a bulk region beneath the surface, the bulk region comprising a steel composition including
• carbon (C) present in the range of 0.05 weight percent to 0.35 weight percent of the total weight percent of the composition,
• manganese (Mn) present in the range of 0.5 weight percent to 5.0 weight percent of the total weight percent of the composition,
• silicon (Si) present in the range of 0.5 weight percent to 2.0 weight percent of the total weight percent of the composition,
• chromium (Cr) present in the range of 0.6 weight percent to 4.0 weight percent of the total weight percent of the composition,
• optionally niobium (Nb) present in the range of 0.02 weight percent to 0.05 weight percent of the total weight percent of the composition, and
• iron present in the remainder of the composition to provide a total weight percent of 100 percent;
• and
• an oxide layer disposed on the surface, the oxide layer comprising at least one of a manganese oxide, an iron oxide, a manganese iron oxide, a chromium oxide, and an amorphous silicon oxide, the oxide layer exhibiting a thickness in the range of 60 nanometers to 1 micrometer.

A method of forming a pre-oxidized steel sheet for a vehicle component, comprising:

• heating a steel sheet in a first process environment at a pre-oxidization temperature in the range of 600 degrees Celsius to 850 degrees Celsius for a pre-oxidation time period in the range of 0.1 seconds to 1,000 seconds, wherein the steel sheet includes the following steel composition:
• carbon (C) present in the range of 0.05 weight percent to 0.35 weight percent of the total weight percent of the composition,
• manganese (Mn) present in the range of 0.5 weight percent to 5.0 weight percent of the total weight percent of the composition,
• silicon (Si) present in the range of 0.5 weight percent to 2.0 weight percent of the total weight percent of the composition,
• chromium (Cr) present in the range of 0.6 weight percent to 4.0 weight percent of the total weight percent of the composition,
• optionally niobium (Nb) present in the range of 0.02 weight percent to 0.05 weight percent of the total weight percent of the composition, and
• iron present in the remainder of the composition to provide a total weight percent of the composition of 100 percent;
• and
• forming an oxide layer on a surface of the steel sheet exhibiting a thickness in the range of 20 nanometers to 60 nanometers on a surface of the steel sheet, the oxide layer comprising at least one of a manganese oxide, an iron oxide, a manganese iron oxide, a chromium oxide, and an amorphous silicon oxide to provide a pre-oxidized steel sheet.