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AL-6XN

Electropolishing Service for AL-6XN

Super-austenitic stainless steel electropolished to outstanding chrome-like finishes — maximizing chloride pitting, crevice, and stress-corrosion resistance for pharmaceutical, chemical, and seawater service.

Superior Surface Finish
Resistance

Enhanced Corrosion
Resistance

Improved Cleanliness

Consistent & Reliable

Able can electropolish AL-6XN — a 6% molybdenum super-austenitic stainless steel with exceptional resistance to chloride pitting, crevice corrosion, and stress-corrosion cracking.

Electropolishing produces an outstanding chrome-like finish on AL-6XN — among the best results achievable on any alloy — while creating a dense, uniform passive layer that further enhances its superior corrosion performance.

AL-6XN is specified where 316 stainless steel is no longer sufficient — pharmaceutical and biotech processing, chemical plants, and seawater systems.

Send us your AL-6XN sample parts and we’ll electropolish them at no charge. Submit your parts here.

Benefits of Electropolishing AL-6XN

Chrome-Like
💎

Outstanding Chrome-Like Finish

Electropolishing produces an outstanding chrome-like finish on AL-6XN — among the best results achievable across all alloys.

Pitting
🛡️

Enhanced Pitting Resistance

A dense, uniform passive layer maximizes the chloride pitting and crevice corrosion resistance of the 6% molybdenum content.

Pharma
🧹

Pharmaceutical-Grade Cleanliness

Ultra-smooth, ultra-clean surfaces meet ASME-BPE and semiconductor cleanliness requirements.

Flow
✨

Reduced Product Adhesion

Smoother surfaces minimize product adhesion and buildup in process piping and vessels.

Weld
🔥

Weld & Heat-Tint Cleanup

Removes heat tint and weld discoloration, restoring the full corrosion resistance of the base alloy.

Service Life
⚙️

Extended Service Life

Longer service life in aggressive chloride, chemical, and seawater environments.

Before & After

Electropolishing Results: AL-6XN

BEFORE EP
→
AFTER EP

AL-6XN — Visual Finish

Outstanding chrome-like finish after electropolishing. A dense, uniform passive layer maximizes pitting and crevice corrosion resistance.

Before: 8–16 µin RaAfter: 4–8 µin Ra
SEM — BEFORE ELECTROPOLISHING
SEM — AFTER ELECTROPOLISHING

AL-6XN — SEM Surface Topography (500×)

Scanning electron microscopy reveals how electropolishing dissolves surface peaks, eliminates machining marks, and removes embedded contaminants.

Rough: peaks, burrs, inclusionsSmooth: uniform passive layer

AL-6XN Components We Electropolish

Pharmaceutical Equipment

Process vessels, tanks, and piping for pharmaceutical and biotech systems — finished to ASME-BPE cleanliness standards.

Chemical Processing

Reactors, heat exchangers, and process equipment exposed to aggressive chemical and high-chloride environments.

Seawater Systems

Piping, valves, and hardware for desalination, offshore, and seawater-cooling systems where pitting resistance is critical.

Food & Beverage

FDA/USDA-compliant processing equipment requiring smooth, easily cleaned, corrosion-resistant surfaces.

Nuclear Reprocessing

Critical components for nuclear and high-purity service requiring documented finish and corrosion margin.

Pulp & Paper

Bleach-plant and process components exposed to corrosive chloride chemistry.

AL-6XN Alloy Finish Results

Expected finish quality from Able's electropolishing process based on extensive production experience.

Alloy Able Finish Quality EP Benefit Typical Parts Ra Before → After

Our Electropolishing Process

1

Part Evaluation

Alloy grade, geometry, heat treat condition, and finish specifications assessed by our experts.

2

Cleaning & Prep

Oils, oxides, and machining contaminants removed. Custom racking for optimal current distribution.

3

Electropolishing

Proprietary electrolyte dissolves surface peaks uniformly. A clean, passive oxide layer forms simultaneously.

4

Rinse & Dry

Thorough multi-stage rinse and controlled drying to preserve the electropolished surface quality.

5

QC & Delivery

Inspected per specification, documented, packed and shipped promptly.

Contact us to learn more about AL-6XN electropolishing

Learn About the Electropolishing Difference


Electropolishing 101 Webinar

Electropolishing 101
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.

Schedule Your Private Webinar
Try Electropolishing for Free: Sample Request

Try Electropolishing for Free:
Sample Request

Send us your parts and we'll electropolish them for free – we'll even pay for the shipping! Samples are processed and returned in a few days.

Request a Sample

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 with electropolishing 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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Electropolishing, Passivation and Metal Surface Analytics Blog

Electropolishing for Small Modular Reactor Component Performance

Small modular reactors are entering component fabrication under tight schedule pressure. Across every coolant technology, surface integrity is becoming a qualification gate — not an afterthought.

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Electropolishing is a precise and controllable process for eliminating defects from the surface of metal parts. But it’s not the only finishing process available to manufacturers; there are mechanical, chemical and plating processes that can remove defects and improve the…

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High-Quality Electropolishing for Small and Intricate Parts

Metal fabrication for parts used in the medical and electronics industries can involve dimensions as small as a grain of rice — or even a strand of hair. At that scale, surface defects may be invisible to the naked eye,…

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When is Stainless Steel Passivation Required?

While stainless steel is known for its corrosion resistance, it contains iron, which is susceptible to corrosion, especially if parts are frequently exposed to moisture or harsh environments. Contamination left behind by machining processes can also impede the corrosion resistance…

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Frequently Asked Questions

What services does Able Electropolishing provide?

We provide electropolishing, nitric & citric passivation, and vacuum vapor degreasing.

What are the maximum part sizes that can be processed for electropolishing, passivation, and vapor degreasing?

Electropolishing:

  • 300 & 400 series stainless steel: 108” Length x 41” Width x 42” Height
  • Copper, brass, aluminum, steel, and nickel alloys: 72” Length x 14” Width x 17” Height (best results are achieved on parts that are no larger than 12” square)
  • Titanium, Nitinol, tungsten, and niobium, etc. (refractory metals): 26” Length x 8-3/4” Width x 9-3/4” Height

Passivation:

  • Standard nitric acid passivation: 72” Length x 30” Width x 30” Height
  • Nitric acid/sodium dichromate: 20” Length, 20” Width x 20” Height
  • Citric acid: 26” Length x 18” Width x 15” Height

Vapor degrease:

  • Vapor degrease (vacuum): 23” Length x 16” Width x 10” Height

Note: If there is a question regarding our capabilities, please email a print for review to sales@ableelectropolishing.com.

What information do you require in order to receive a quotation?

We need a copy of the drawing, service needed, lot and annual quantities, process specification and packaging requirements.

What is your standard lead-time?

Standard delivery is 3 to 5 working days after receipt of order. Next day and same day services are offered at an additional cost. Please contact our sales department for further details.

What is the difference between passivation and electropolishing?

Passivation is a chemical process designed to remove free iron and other contaminants from the part surface. Electropolishing is an electro-chemical process that removes surface metal which improves micro finish, provides deburring and adds to the aesthetics of your part.

Contact an Electropolishing Expert Today