Method of producing reinforcing bars with corrosion resistant coating

Abstract

A method of forming steel reinforcing bars and other bar mill products with a protective coating of nickel to enhance the corrosion resistant characteristics of such bars, such method comprising the steps of forming an elongated steel billet with a generally rectangular cross-section, then electroplating a thin layer of nickel onto said steel billet, painting the exterior surface of said plated steel billet with a slurry consisting essentially of water and a refractory mortar, arranging a plurality of such steel billets in contiguous relationship in a furnace and heating them to a temperature at which they become malleable (approximately 2150.degree.-2350.degree. F.), then hot rolling the steel billets to form them into elongated generally round bars. The resulting bars have a lightly adhering nickel oxide film at the surface of the bar; an outer layer of wrought nickel; an intermediate nickel-iron layer metallurgically bonded to the nickel and the steel core; and, a nickel containing ferrous substrate on the outer peripheral surface of the steel core. The refractory mortar coating is usually removed from the billets, prior to the rolling thereof, by suitable descaling equipment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.