Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Protecting Metal with Electro Polishing

When processing steel parts or machinery, it's important to protect them from corrosion. This can be done with the process of passivation. This involves making a surface more passive, through a variety of different possibilities. For example, this could be achieved by creating a surface film that causes the surface to lose its ability to have chemical reactions. One of the methods that can lead to a passive surface is electropolishing. These types of processes are performed when the metal is subject to iron particles, metal chips, oxide scale, or other forms of deposits which could impact the stability of the metal's surface. Other negative effects these could have include contaminating the process fluid or ruining the sanitary condition of the metal. 
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passivationTherefore, when you are preparing any metals to be used in manufacturing, passivation is necessary for sanitary and safety reasons. However, there are several different processes that can be used to make steel more passive. The end result of these processes must lead to the metal forming a chemically inactive surface. Electro polishing is an electrochemical process, which results in the most passive surface out of all the different processes out there. It is also known as electrolytic polishing, and it helps remove materials from any metallic work pieces.
If you are in need of a potent form of passivation, you might want to look into electro polishing as a result. Usually in this process, the metal work piece is first immersed in an electrolyte bath, which is then connected to a positive power suppl. At the same time, the negative terminal is attached to a cathode. An electrical current passes through this electro bath, which helps oxidize and dissolve the surface of the metal work piece. The electrolyte bath that is used can be composed of a variety of ingredients, typically sulfuric and phosphoric acid.
You can also use many other forms of passivation to achieve a smooth, clean metal surface that will be free from corrosion, but electro polishing is useful because of its numerous applications. It's a fairly simple process that can be applied to many different types of shapes and sizes of metal. It is typically used for vacuum components, microscopy, and stainless steel surgical devices, among other types of professional work pieces. To find the right process for your needs, it's best to compare the different options out there and ask questions before you choose the most efficient method of passivation. 
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