What do you know about common stainless steel surface treatment methods and preventive measures?

2023-01-11

Because of its exceptional strength, wear resistance, outstanding anti-corrosion performance, and no rust, stainless steel is used widely in the chemical and food industry, machine and electrical engineering, environmental protection, and household appliances. Home decoration is a fine decoration industry that gives people a majestic and noble feeling. Although stainless steel's market applications and potential development are increasing, the extent of the development of its surface treatment technology will be determined by the amount of use and development. The major components of stainless steel include chromium, nickel (Ni), molybdenum [Mo], titanium (Ti) or other high-quality metal elements.

What do you know about common stainless steel surface treatment methods and preventive measures?

The first, stainless steel surface treatment

There are three types of stainless steel surface treatment options: mirror finish, natural bleaching, and surface painting.

(1) Nature and whitening

A black oxide film is formed during the stainless steel processing. It can be obtained by edge welding, welding, winding, or artificial surface heating. This hard grey-black layer is mostly composed of two types of NiCr2O4 or NiF. To remove severe corrosion, hydrofluoric acid or nitric acids were used in the past. This method is being phased out because it is costly, highly corrosive and polluting to the environment. There are currently two main methods to address scale:

Sandblasting: This method uses glass beads to remove black oxide from the surface.

Chemical Method: Apply an environmentally-friendly etching and passivation paste to the surface. Then, use a non-toxic cleaner with organic additives at room temperatures for immersion. This is how to bleach stainless steel. It is almost always colorless after processing. This is a better option for complex and large products.

(2) External mirror coating

There are many options available depending on the complexity and requirements of stainless steel products.

(3) Surface coloring

Stainless steel painting gives stainless steel products a variety of colors. It also increases the product's wear resistance and corrosion resistance. There are three main types of polishing: electrochemical polishing, chemical polishing, and mechanical polishing.

Precautions to be taken when working with stainless-steel

These are the main aspects of preventive measures for stainless-steel:

(1) Storage

A storage rack for the rack should be made of wood, painted carbon steel brackets or rubber pads to protect it from other metal materials like carbon steel. The storage location should be simple to lift and isolated from other materials. Protective measures should also be taken to avoid contamination of stainless steel by oil, dust, or rust.

(2) Rise

Use special slings for lifting such as special cartridges and slings. To avoid scratching the surface, wire ropes are strictly prohibited.

(3) Transport

Protractor: They must be clean and protected from oil, dust, and rust. To avoid bumps or scratches, drag and drop is strictly forbidden.