I hope no one is trying to re-invent the wheel. Paasivation of stainless steels should be done according to common commercial, military or aerospace specfifications. QQ-P-35C "Passivation treatment for corrosion resistant steels" which is avaiable at ttp://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/ specifically dictate nitric acid. For AISI 420 steel sodium dichromate additive is needed. Cleaning and descaling before passivation should be done according to ASTM-A380 or MIL-S-5002. When electrochemical cleaning is required it sould be performed in accordance with ASTM-254.
Regarding hydrogen embrittlement, removal of the oxide layer after heat treatment using chemicals may cause hydrogen embrittlement. Therefore, it is best to use mechanical cleaning if possible. Otherwise, according to military standards steels treated above 36RC (180ksi Ultimate tensile strength) should be baked for hydrogen embrittlement relief.