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Brightening Etch for Stainless Steel

Q. I am looking for an etchant to remove the blue/yellow discoloration on Type 304 and 420 Stainless Steels that are associated with welding. I have used a mix of Nitric acid and Phosphoric Acid, but they leave the surfaces somewhat dull. Can anybody suggest an etchant that will brighten the surface?

Mark Barron
- Grand Blanc, Michigan, USA
2003

"CRC Handbook of Metal Etchants"

on AbeBooks

or Amazon

(affil links)

A. When confronted with a similar problem, a web search for "weld cleaner" provided more answers than I needed or wanted. Good luck.

G. L. Travis
- Alvin, Texas
2003

A. Another excellent way to clean weld discoloration is with some DC electricity and new, safe products that are on the market. It is very economical, safe and relatively fast. Many companies are now using this to get a good, passivated finish on welds.

I can't mention the names of the products here, but you simply use a standard 110 amp welder to get excellent results. If you contact us we can supply the information and references that can't be named on this site.

Lee Kremer
Stellar Solutions, Inc.

McHenry, Illinois

2003

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