Selection of high heat coloring alloy
Selection of high heat coloring alloy
(OP)
We have some artsy people requesting parts be machined, then heat colored with a flame. These parts do not have any structural concerns. We ran some tests with some PH stainless materials for customer consideration and they were looking for more "pop". I am now considering a Ti alloy unless we can find a stainless alloy that will color nice?
If we select a Ti alloy, cost and machinability will likely be the ONLY considerations. I have never compared all the alloys to determine which is cheaper, easier, etc. I am hoping a metallurgist can offer advice? Due to the cost of Ti, I was hoping there was a Ni alloy that contained just enough Ti to get the colors we need without the price tag and obvious structural benefits.
Any other materials may be considered as well. The only consideration is flame treatments only, no clear coats, paint, etc. They are looking for a raw display of material.
If we select a Ti alloy, cost and machinability will likely be the ONLY considerations. I have never compared all the alloys to determine which is cheaper, easier, etc. I am hoping a metallurgist can offer advice? Due to the cost of Ti, I was hoping there was a Ni alloy that contained just enough Ti to get the colors we need without the price tag and obvious structural benefits.
Any other materials may be considered as well. The only consideration is flame treatments only, no clear coats, paint, etc. They are looking for a raw display of material.





RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
Aaron Tanzer
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
Their are people that us an electrolytic process to color stainless that leaves very thin films, good color, and does not reduce the corrosion resistance.
http://www.millenniumtiles.com/#application-color....
Doing this by heating you want a stainless with as much Cr as possible.
What are machining, bar?
Are they passivating after this? They might need to with SS to prevent rusting.
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Plymouth Tube
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
So will a higher Cr SS compare at all the vibrant coloration of Ti? If Ti is selected, is there a grade that is more reasonably priced? I am only really familiar with structural grades for aerospace.
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
You have to keep the heat tint very thin to get bright colors.
And the more polished the starting surface the brighter the color will be.
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Plymouth Tube
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
rp
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
Aaron Tanzer
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
http://www.gagecorp.net/gmsite/coloredstain.htm
http://test.henkel-epol.com/en/services/surface-tr...
http://www.theinoxincolor.com/en.html
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
It needs to be an interference layer, that is the thickness needs to be on the order of the wavelength of light.
Then it will act like the oil sheen on water causing refraction.
Ti will give great colors, but you have to heat very gently.
As the layer gets thicker they get dull and shift toward the natural color of the oxide itself.
In Ti this white/grey, in stainless it is black/brown.
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Plymouth Tube
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
But some of the chemicals are interesting.
The new stuff is electrochemical.
Do they really want it all one color of do they want variations and shading?
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Plymouth Tube
RE: Selection of high heat coloring alloy
The goal is to have a "raw" appearance, not plated or otherwise coated.