Corrosion-resistant fuel tank

Abstract

A corrosion-resistant coated brass metal coated with a corrosion resistant alloy. The corrosion resistant alloy is a tin metal alloy or a tin and zinc metal alloy. The corrosion resistant metal alloy may also include one or more metal additives to improve the coating process and/or to alter the properties of the tin or tin and zinc metal alloy.

1 - 7 . Canceled  
     
     
         8 . A method of forming a corrosion-resistant metal strip that is adapted for use in the at least partial formation of a petroleum receptacle comprising: 
 a) providing a carbon steel metal strip having a top and bottom surface, said carbon steel strip having an average thickness of less than about 5080 microns;    b) coating the top and bottom surface of said carbon steel metal strip with a corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy by a hot dip process, said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy forming a multi-phase alloy upon cooling which resists corrosion by petroleum products, said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy comprising tin, zinc and metal additive, at least about 95 weight percent of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy comprised of tin and zinc, said zinc content of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy being up to about 30 weight percent, said metal additive including an effective amount of at least one metal to positively affect at least one physical or chemical property of said tin-zinc alloy, said metal additive including a metal selected from the group consisting of chromium, copper, lead, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, titanium and mixtures thereof; and,    c) controlling a coating thickness of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy on said top and bottom surface of said carbon steel strip such that the average coating thickness on each surface of said carbon steel strip is up to about 1270 microns.    
     
     
         9 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , including the step of plating a nickel layer on said top and bottom surface of said carbon steel metal strip prior to said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy being applied to said carbon steel metal strip, said nickel layer having an average thickness on each side of said carbon steel metal strip of up to about 3 microns, said coating thickness of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy being greater than the thickness of said plated nickel layer.  
     
     
         10 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , including the step of forming a heat created intermetallic layer between said carbon steel strip and said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy, said heat created intermetallic layer having an average thickness of less than about 3 microns, said heat created intermetallic layer including iron, tin and zinc.  
     
     
         11 . The method as defined in  claim 9 , including the step of forming a heat created intermetallic layer between said carbon steel strip and said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy, said heat created intermetallic layer having an average thickness of less than about 3 microns, said heat created intermetallic layer including iron, tin and zinc.  
     
     
         12 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said heat created intermetallic layer includes at least one additional metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, lead, magnesium, manganese, nickel, titanium and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         13 . The method as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said heat created intermetallic layer includes at least one additional metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, lead, magnesium, manganese, nickel, titanium and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes magnesium.  
     
     
         15 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes aluminum.  
     
     
         16 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes manganese.  
     
     
         17 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes lead.  
     
     
         18 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes copper.  
     
     
         19 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes chromium.  
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes molybdenum.  
     
     
         21 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes nickel.  
     
     
         22 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes silicon.  
     
     
         23 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes titanium.  
     
     
         24 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , including the step of at least partially forming said coated carbon steel metal strip into a shell member of a petroleum receptacle.  
     
     
         25 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said hot dip process includes at least partially immersing said carbon steel strip into a molten bath of corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy.  
     
     
         26 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , including the step of controlling the cooling rate of said hot dip coating to regulate the crystal size formation in the corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy.  
     
     
         27 . A method of forming a corrosion-resistant metal strip that is adapted for use in the at least partial formation of a petroleum receptacle comprising: 
 a) providing a metal strip having a top and bottom surface, said carbon steel strip having an average thickness of about 127-5080 microns;    b) coating the top and bottom surface of said metal strip with a corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy by a hot dip process to form a heat created intermetallic layer between said surfaces of said metal strip and said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy, said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy forming a multi phase alloy upon cooling which resists corrosion by petroleum products, at least about 90 weight percent of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy comprised of tin and zinc, said zinc content of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy being up to about 30 weight percent, said heat created intermetallic layer having an average thickness of less than 10 microns and including iron, nickel, tin and zinc; and,    c) controlling a coating thickness of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy on said top and bottom surface of said carbon steel strip such that the average coating thickness on each surface of said carbon steel strip is about 2.5-1270 microns.    
     
     
         28 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said heat created intermetallic layer includes at least one additional metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, lead, magnesium, manganese, silicon, titanium and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         29 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes at least an effective amount of at least one metal additive to positively affect the mechanical properties of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy, the chemical properties of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy and combinations thereof, said at least one metal additive selected from the group consisting of aluminum, chromium, copper, lead, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, titanium and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         30 . The method as defined in  claim 28 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes at least an effective amount of at least one metal additive to positively affect the mechanical properties of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy, the chemical properties of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy and combinations thereof, said at least one metal additive selected from the group consisting of aluminum, chromium, copper, lead, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, titanium and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         31 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , including the step ofplating a nickel layer on said top and bottom surface of said carbon steel metal strip prior to said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy being applied to said carbon steel metal strip, said nickel layer having an average thickness on each side of said carbon steel metal strip of up to about 3 microns, said coating thickness of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy being greater than the thickness of said plated nickel layer.  
     
     
         32 . The method as defined in  claim 30 , including the step ofplating a nickel layer on said top and bottom surface of said carbon steel metal strip prior to said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy being applied to said carbon steel metal strip, said nickel layer having an average thickness on each side of said carbon steel metal strip of up to about 3 microns, said coating thickness of said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy being greater than the thickness of said plated nickel layer.  
     
     
         33 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , including the step of forming a heat created intermetallic layer between said carbon steel strip and said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy, said heat created intermetallic layer having an average thickness of less than about 3 microns, said heat created intermetallic layer including iron, tin and zinc.  
     
     
         34 . The method as defined in  claim 31 , including the step of forming a heat created intermetallic layer between said carbon steel strip and said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy, said heat created intermetallic layer having an average thickness of less than about 3 microns, said heat created intermetallic layer including iron, tin and zinc.  
     
     
         35 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes magnesium.  
     
     
         36 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes aluminum.  
     
     
         37 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes manganese.  
     
     
         38 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes lead.  
     
     
         39 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes copper.  
     
     
         40 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes chromium.  
     
     
         41 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes molybdenum.  
     
     
         42 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes nickel.  
     
     
         43 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes silicon.  
     
     
         44 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy includes titanium.  
     
     
         45 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , including the step of at least partially forming said coated metal strip into a shell member of a petroleum receptacle.  
     
     
         46 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said hot dip process includes at least partially immersing said metal strip into a molten bath of corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy.  
     
     
         47 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said metal strip is a carbon steel strip.  
     
     
         48 . The method as defined in  claim 27 , including the step of controlling the cooling rate of said hot dip coating to regulate the crystal size formation in the corrosion-resistant tin-zinc alloy.