Clean Surfaces, Enhanced Corrosion Resistance
APT offers passivation services — the treatment of stainless steel or titanium surfaces with our proprietary processes and solutions. Passivation removes contaminants and promotes the formation of the passive film on a freshly created surface.
APT’s passivation treatments penetrate and clean the steel surface and remove free iron contaminants. We use care in developing and using passivation treatments to ensure the selected treatment will target the contaminant. Passivation also aids in the rapid development of the passive oxide film on the metal’s surface — and does not usually result in a change in the appearance of the metal’s surface.
Surface Roughness and Corrosion
The corrosion resistance of stainless steel is affected by the roughness of the surface after machining or polishing. As surface roughness increases above an Ra value of approximately 0.5 microns — roughly the surface produced by grinding with a 320 grit wheel — a significant decrease in corrosion resistance results.
Either passivation or electropolishing can be used to improve the corrosion resistance of mechanically machined and polished surfaces. Our team will help you select the right process for your application.