Electropolishing and passivation are very different processes, and to decide which is better for your needs, you should know what these differences are.
Passivation is a chemical process that eliminates free iron and ferrous contaminants that are embedded in stainless steel parts during manufacturing, returning those parts to their original corrosion specifications. Electropolishing is an electrochemical process that treats a wide variety of alloys, including stainless steels, aluminum, copper, brass, titanium, Nitinol and many others, including specialty alloys.
Electropolishing is the more aggressive of the two operations, as it dissolves a uniform layer of surface material from a metal part. This eliminates not only embedded contaminants, but imperfections like mirco cracks and pits that become initiation sites for corrosion. This process makes electropolished parts as much as 30 times more corrosion resistant than passivated parts. Electropolishing also removes oxide scale and heat tint created by manufacturing, which passivation does not. Ultimately, electropolishing is a more comprehensive, versatile and effective process.
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Among the most demanding surface finish requirements of any industry, the specifications, standards and quality assurance processes that cover components used by the semiconductor industry impose metal finishing criteria that leave nothing to chance.
Crafting aerospace components demands precision down to the microscopic level. Through meticulous removal of contaminants and enhancement of corrosion resistance, metal finishing techniques such as passivation help ensure part performance and longevity.
In the heart of a post-World War II industrial boom, a self-taught chemist and visionary, Zenon Pokvitis, laid the foundation for what would become the world’s largest electropolishing specialist — Able Electropolishing.
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