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Etchant for examining copper to stainless weld joint?
May 30, 2009
Hello.
Could you tell me what is the etch solution pure copper-316 stainless steel weld joint. macro and micro etch.
Thank you.
sharif university - Tehran, Iran
I was not aware that you could weld copper to SS with any strength. Are you talking about a brazing operation?
James Watts- Navarre, Florida
June 3, 2009
Arc welding joining of copper and unalloyed steel is routine in the operation of many aluminium smelters as part of the anode rodding. Haven't done it with stainless, but I see no metallurgical obstacle. I'm assuming an austenitic stainless (300 series).
As for an etchant that is useful on both the copper and the stainless at the same time... I expect that one of the ferric chloride [on
eBay or
Amazon] based etchants (ferric chloride[on
eBay or
Amazon]plus hydrochloric acid plus water) would be the choice but I can't suggest a composition that I know is good.
Please advise the grade or at least type of stainless, and I'll talk to some metallography colleagues then report back to this thread.
Bill Reynolds [deceased]
consultant metallurgist - Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
We sadly relate the news that Bill passed away on Jan. 29, 2010.
June 4, 2009
June 12, 2009
Sorry Abbas, when I re-read your post (properly!), I saw that you very clearly stated the grade of stainless steel.
It has been suggested that 5 grams ferric chloride[on
eBay or
Amazon]plus 50 mL concentrated hydrochloric acid plus 100 mL water would be a suitable etchant.
Bill Reynolds [deceased]
consultant metallurgist - Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
We sadly relate the news that Bill passed away on Jan. 29, 2010.
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