  In the drive towards higher strength alloys, a diverse range of alloying
elements is employed to enhance their strength and ductility. Limited solid
solubility of these elements in steel leads to segregation during casting which
affects the entire down-stream processing and eventually the mechanical
properties of the finished product. Although it is thought that the presence of
continuous bands lead to premature failure, it has not been possible to verify
this link. This poses as increasingly greater risk for higher alloyed, higher
strength steels which are prone to centre-line segregation: it is thus vital to
be able to predict the mechanical behaviour of multi-phase (MP) steels under
loading.
  This review covers the microstructure and properties of galvanised advanced
high strength steels with particular emphasis to their use in automotive
applications. In order to understand the origins of banding, the origins of
segregation of alloying elements during casting and partitioning in the solid
state will be discussed along with the effects on the mechanical behaviour and
damage evolution under (tensile) loading. Attention will also be paid to the
application of microstructural models in tailoring the production process to
enable suppression of the effects of segregation upon banding. Finally, the
theory and application of the experimental techniques used in this work to
elucidate the structure and properties will be examined.
