Letter 30065

Electropolishing of nitrided steel [India] 

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What should be the electrolyte for electropolishing of plasma nitrided parts (En41B steel) to improve the surface finish? Can we use the general electrolytes used for alloy steel (perchloric acid + acetic acid combination) for this nitrided steel also?

K.Chandrasekaran
Metallurgist - Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, INDIA

I'll have to let someone else with experience in it answer your question. I'll only warn that perchloric acid should not be used in anything larger than a beaker, and only by a highly trained and skilled chemist in a laboratory. Some experts feel that even that use should be prohibited. Either way, it's absolutely not for "parts" . Please see letter 9408.

 
Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com Inc. - Brick, NJ

Acetic acid is an organic. Perchloric acid is an oxidizer. If you could get the portions and conditions correct, you have a bomb.

James Watts
- FL

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