Method for deposition of steel protective coating

A method for coating a steel surface of a workpiece, comprising:

• subjecting a workpiece comprising a steel surface to a first embrittlement-relief baking operation to form a protective oxide layer on the steel surface;
• de-scaling the protective oxide layer from the steel surface;
• subjecting the steel surface to a first rinsing operation without water-break in accordance with ASTM F22;
• activating the steel surface;
• subjecting the steel surface to a second rinsing operation without water-break in accordance with ASTM F22;
• applying a hydrogen barrier coating to the activated steel surface to a thickness not greater than about 2.54 microns;
• subjecting the hydrogen barrier coating to a third rinsing operation without water-break in accordance with ASTM F22;
• activating the hydrogen barrier coating to form an activated hydrogen barrier coating;
• subjecting the activated hydrogen barrier coating to a fourth rinsing operation without a water-break in accordance with ASTM F22;
• plating a zinc-nickel alloy layer on the activated hydrogen barrier coating to form a zinc-nickel porous plate, the zinc-nickel alloy layer comprising about 93 weight percent to about 95 weight percent zinc and about 5 weight percent to about 7 weight percent nickel;
• subjecting the zinc-nickel porous plate to a fifth rinsing operation;
• subjecting zinc-nickel porous plate to a second embrittlement-relief baking operation in a substantially inert atmosphere;
• sealing the zinc-nickel porous plate with zinc phosphate and trivalent chromate.