Letter 088

Seeking room-temperature blackening solutions

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I am interested in locating any available information on blackening processes for steel, stainless and brass. My preference would be for a cold process. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

D Vanek

Hi, D. Room-temperature blackening is do-able but more expensive and overall a less satisfactory finish. We have a quick FAQ intro to cold blackening on line. The Metal Finishing Guidebook has a chapter with formulas for solutions for blackening and coloring metals. But better results will be obtained with proprietary blackening systems available from the suppliers listed in our directory or in the yellow pages. Good luck!

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey