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Is there any alternative to inhibitors for pickling, and regarding surface finish

July 25, 2008

dear sir,

I am student working on a project about pickling process in a tube making company. I like to know whether there is any alternative for inhibitors to increase the rate of reaction of pickling baths.They are using HF & HNO3 as acids.And to increase the surface finish and achieve a good quality what are the required measures to be taken by me to complete my project.

waiting for your reply,

Thanking you,

Srivatsava Prem
trainee - India

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I think there's a bit of a semantics issue here, Srivatsava. An inhibitor is not one specific chemical, it's any additive that inhibits the acid from attacking the base metal, or discourages any chemical reaction that you consider undesirable for your purposes.

So your question sort of asks whether there is any alternative to substances that do what you want :-)

I think my answer would be that there are numerous potential inhibitors and you should talk to specialty suppliers to identify one that does a good job for you. The banner at the bottom of the page points to a supporting advertiser of finishing.com who specializes in the kind of issue confronting you. Sorry if I misinterpreted your question.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
July 25, 2008