ASTM B912 Electropolishing Standard for Stainless Steel Alloys

Able Electropolishing meets the high standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), including the ASTM B912 for electropolishing stainless steel.

What Is ASTM B912 Electropolishing?

The ASTM B912 electropolishing specification outlines the electropolishing process for stainless steel alloys. This type of stainless steel passivation includes 200, 300 and 400-series alloys and is superior to standard chemical passivation.

For a metal finisher to meet these standards for stainless steel passivation, they must adhere to specific protocols and ensure a particular quality of work. According to the ASTM, the electropolisher must include post-coating procedures as part of the process, as well as performance testing by means such as a salt spray test, a humidity test or a copper sulfate test. These factors and others determine eligibility for meeting this specification.

Electropolishing vs. Passivation

Electropolishing Before & After

While passivation is useful for removing free iron and contaminants from stainless steel and is more well known, electropolishing is often a better option and can be used on far more metal alloys.

Electropolishing removes a microscopically precise layer of surface material, to tolerances as low as +/-.0001″, depending on the alloy. This degree of precision and consistency, along with the ability to remove a variety of surface imperfections in one process, is why electropolishing is so often specified for critical parts used in medical implants and surgical instruments, aerospace components and fragile or critical parts used in other industries. Electropolishing is a one-stop process for a micro-smooth, ultraclean, corrosion and pathogen-resistant surface finish – with 30 times more corrosion resistance than passivation.

Electropolishing also eliminates the need for additional metal finishing processes like hand deburring, tumbling, pickling, and cleaning.

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Learn About the Electropolishing Difference


Electropolishing 101 Webinar

Electropolishing 101
Lunch & Learn Webinar

Learn everything you need to know about electropolishing as part of a private, interactive webinar. Let us know your availability and your part issues and our electropolishing experts can get you on our schedule. Lunch will be provided!

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Try Electropolishing for Free: Sample Request

Try Electropolishing for Free:
Sample Request

Send us your parts/prototypes and we’ll electropolish them for free – we’ll even pay for the shipping! Samples are processed in 24-48 hours.

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Medical Device Manufacturing

Medical Device Manufacturing

From implantable devices to surgical instruments, electropolishing is a single-process treatment that results in biocompatible, safe and ultra clean parts.

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Aerospace

Aerospace

We offer aerospace vendors and original equipment manufacturers our signature metal finishing services to increase fatigue-resistance for their metal parts, rendering them capable of withstanding the stress and corrosion that comes with long-term use.

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Pharmaceutical

Pharmaceutical

Our strict adherence to industry standards ensures that pharmaceutical components are electropolished in accordance with ASTM B912 and ASME BPE specifications. These products are clean and smooth, corrosion resistant and contaminant free.

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Automotive

Automotive

Corrosion resistance and microfinish improvement are essential for critical automotive parts, making electropolishing an increasingly beneficial option for automakers.

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Consumer Appliance

Consumer Appliance

Our metal finishing services help increase corrosion resistance for these parts, and by removing the outermost layer of metal withelectropolishing the durability and longevity of these appliance components is increased.

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Food & Beverage

Food & Beverage

Electropolishing materials for this industry eliminates the buildup of bacterial biofilms, as well as keeping the equipment free of contaminants like Salmonella. Electropolishing delivers the level of sanitation required by a number of regulatory agencies.

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Hydraulics & Pneumatics

Hydraulics & Pneumatics

From robotics to mobile equipment, the uses of electropolishing in the hydraulics and pneumatics industry are many. By helping prevent premature part failure, electropolishing reduces downtime and increases the life cycle of these components.

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Electronics

Electronics

Improving conductivity and performance is just one benefit electropolishing offers for electronics parts. The surface finish is improved by as much as 50%, removing imperfections from the material without material removal.

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