×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Stainless steel oxide film

Stainless steel oxide film

Stainless steel oxide film

(OP)
Can you recommend any good treatment to remove an oxide film formed on stainless steel to restore it to a shiny surface? I have tried some chemical etchants but they dull the surface due to the darkening caused by etching.

Simply polishing the surface is difficult in this situation due to particles that are brazed to it.

RE: Stainless steel oxide film

You may wish to try a combination of acids as follows:
1. 10-15% sulfuric/2% HF @ 120F - 150F for 30-60 seconds then Water rinse.
2. 10-15% nitric/2% HF @ 120F - 150F for 30-60 sec then water rinse.
3. 10-15% nitric only @ 120F - 150F for 30-60 sec then water rinse.
 

RE: Stainless steel oxide film

Anything with HF in it is going to give you some etching.  If you need a bright, shiny surface, the best way is electropolishing.

I have seen chemical bright dips for stainless, some years ago.  I don't know what was in them.  Anybody else know?

RE: Stainless steel oxide film

(OP)
What about a mixture of sulfuric acid? I may try this as there is copper brazed to the surface and I don't want to damage it. I want to remove the scale on stainless, but don't want to damage the copper.

I will try this and report back. (Samples are relatively expendable)

RE: Stainless steel oxide film

(OP)
It damaged the copper. Then I remembered, sulfuric cleans pennies! DUH!

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources