• Request More Information
  • Industrial Parts Washers
    ✛
    • Agitated Immersion Heated Parts Washers
    • Inline Conveyor Wash-Rinse-Dry Parts Washers
    • Immersion Inline Parts Washer
    • Spray Cabinet Parts Washers
      ✛
      • Front Load Spray Cabinet Parts Washer
      • Top Load Spray Cabinet Industrial Parts Washer
    • Vertical Door Pass Through Parts Washer
    • Rotary Drum Parts Washer
    • Powder Coat Prep Equipment
    • Phosphating Lines
    • Pipe Washing Equipment
  • Precision Cleaning Systems
    ✛
    • Applicable Articles
    • How clean is clean?
    • How Do Ultrasonic Cleaners Work?
    • Ultrasonic Benchtop Parts Cleaner
    • Benchtop Ultrasonic Parts Cleaning Multi-Tank Systems
    • Ultrasonic Cleaning Consoles
    • Automated Ultrasonic Parts Cleaning Equipment Wash-Rinse-Dry
    • Large Scale Automated Precision Aqueous Cleaning for Cellular Manufacturing
    • Agitated Immersion Ultrasonic Parts Washer
    • Machine Shop Parts Washer for Swiss and CNC Precision Parts
    • Immersible Ultrasonic Transducers
    • Vapor Degreasers
  • Passivation Equipment
    ✛
    • Applicable Articles
    • What is Passivation? How Does It Work?
    • Nitric vs. Citric Acid Passivation
    • CitriSurf – Citric Acid Passivation
    • Benchtop Ultrasonic Passivation Equipment
    • Ultrasonic Automated Passivation Equipment
    • Automated Ultrasonic Passivation System for Medical Device Parts
    • Passivation Wet Bench for Citric / Nitric Acid
    • Cleanroom Space Saving Automated Passivation System
    • Heated Polypropylene Acid Passivation and Rinse Tanks
    • Agitated Immersion Multi-Tank Passivation Systems
    • Automated Chemical Neutralization Tank / Cart
  • Electropolishing Equipment
    ✛
    • What is electropolishing? How does electropolishing work?
    • Electropolishing Cycle and Current Calculator
    • What is Dry Electropolishing? How does it work?
    • Passivation vs. Electropolishing
    • Table Top Electropolishing Equipment & Electropolishing Machines
    • Electropolishing Wet Benches
    • Large Scale Part Electropolishing Systems
    • Dry Electropolishing Machines
    • EP System – Open Top Wet Bench with Spray Rinse
  • Surface Finishing Systems
    ✛
    • Alodine Lines
      ✛
      • What is Alodine / Chem film / Chromate Conversion Coating?
      • Alodine Chem Film Tank Line
    • Mass Finishing Machines
      ✛
      • Centrifugal Barrel Finishing Machines
      • Spin Dryers / Chip Wringers
      • Vibratory Bowl Polishers
    • Titanium Anodizing Equipment
  • Wet Benches
    ✛
    • Citric / Nitric Passivation Wet Bench for Stainless Steel & Titanium
    • Electropolishing Equipment in a Wet Bench / Fume Hood
    • Fume Hoods
    • Wet Benches for Semiconductor & FM4910 Applications
    • Quick Dump Rinse Tank
  • Specialty & Custom Industrial Process Systems
    ✛
    • Automated Chemical Neutralization Tank / Cart
    • Vapor and Dryfilm PTFE Coating Systems
    • Heated Hot Air Parts Dryer
    • Solvent Recovery Equipment
  • Precision Cleaning Chemistries, Solvents & Fluids
    ✛
    • Why Use a Parts Cleaning Solvent?
    • 3M Novec Engineered Fluids, Fluorinert Liquids, Solvents & Chemicals
    • Solvent Cleaning with 3M Novec Engineered Fluids
    • Thermal Management / Heat Transfer with 3M Novec and Fluorinert Fluids
    • 3M Novec 72DA 73DE Solvent Vapor Degreaser For Medical Device Instruments
    • Solvent Phase-outs
      ✛
      • AK225 HCFC-225 Phase Out and Replacement with 3M Novec HFE Engineered Fluids
      • Medical Device AK 225 Replacement with 3M Novec Engineered Fluid Solvent
      • nPB Replacement
    • Aqueous Cleaning Chemistries
  • Case Studies
    ✛
    • Industrial Parts Washer Case Studies
    • Part Cleaning Case Studies
    • Passivation Systems Case Studies
    • Part Finishing Equipment Case Studies
    • Precision Cleaning Systems Case Studies
  • Equipment Financing
  • Contact us for info & free proposal!

More Info

Best Technology

Best Technology - Part Cleaning, Passivation and Finishing Systems

Precision Cleaning, Passivation & Finishing Systems
Call-us 612.392.2414 email-usSales@BestTechnologyInc.com
  • Home
  • Products
    • Industrial Parts Washers
    • Precision Cleaning Systems
    • Passivation Equipment
    • Electropolishing Equipment
    • Surface Finishing Systems
    • Mass Finishing Machines
    • Wet Benches
    • Specialty & Custom Industrial Process Systems
    • Precision Cleaning Chemistries, Solvents, & Fluids
    • 3M Novec Engineered Fluids, Chemicals, & Solvents
  • Services
  • Articles
    • FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
    • Precision Cleaning
    • Passivation
    • Electropolishing
    • Industrial Parts Washers
    • Newsletters / Blog
  • Case Studies
    • Industry Applications
    • Industrial Parts Washer Case Studies
    • Passivation Systems Case Studies
    • Part Cleaning Case Studies
    • Part Finishing Equipment Case Studies
    • Precision Cleaning Systems Case Studies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Request Info

Contact an expert on
Electropolishing Equipment

More Info
home Best Technology / Electropolishing Equipment and Electropolisher Machines for Stainless Steel / Passivation vs. Electropolishing

Passivation vs. Electropolishing

What’s the difference between electropolishing vs. passivation?  Are both necessary for processing a part?  Which one should be done first?

These common questions often lead to confusion in industry because of specification callouts vs. true understanding of each process.

Passivation Definition is…

a non-electrolytic process typically using nitric or citric acid  which removes free iron from the surface and forms an inert, protective oxide layer that in turn renders the stainless steel more rust-resistance due to lack of iron to react with atmosphere. During machining manufacturing processes, the stainless steel parts may have imperfections from iron being embedded or smeared onto the surface from the machining tool steels.

These free irons on the surface of the stainless steel need to be removed to prevent a corrosive reaction can occur between the two different metals. The passivation of stainless steel chemically removes these free irons and forms a passive oxide “film” layer which further improves corrosion resistance. When exposed to air, the stainless steel undergoing passivation will form a chemically inactive or inert surface.  This is one advantage of using citric acid vs. nitric acid for passivation.

Electropolishing Definition is…

an electrolytic/ electrochemical process which dissolves the electrically active asperities to leave an ultra smooth surface for reasons such as cleanliness, deburring, polishing and to prevent materials from sticking. Through the electropolishing process, surface material is removed by anodic dissolution using electrical current passing through electrolytic solution.

So What’s the Difference between Electropolishing and Passivation?

As a non-electrolytic process, passivation uses solutions like citric and nitric acids instead of the electrical current used in electropolishing to create a inert oxide layer / film. Passivation removes free iron and foreign matter from metal surfaces.

Electropolishing, a non-mechanical interactive process, can be used on objects with complex geometries.  The electropolishing  process uses a combination of electrolytic chemicals and an electrical current to carefully eliminate imperfections and contaminants of metal part surfaces. This particular process is an alternative to abrasive fine polishing.  Electropolishing can be used to polish, deburr, and smooth metal components whereby doing so also causes material removal to occur including the free irons on the surface of the part.

Electropolishing would be the more appropriate approach when  aesthetics are necessary.  A smoother, polished surface can result from electropolishing. Passivation, on the other hand, does not change or brighten the surface appearance and is not an effective method for removing surfaces that has been welded with oxide heat effect scale or heat treated.

Why do some specifications require electropolishing AND passivation?

There is some debate that electropolishing, since it uniformly removes ALL material from the part surface, could remove chromium from the part surface and expose iron. Electropolishing might compromise stainless steel’s corrosion resistance properties. The other side of the debate says that electropolishing forms a deeper, thicker oxide layer than any type of passivation because electropolishing actually affects more than the part surface whereas passivation only reacts with surface-level elements.

Most common in the medical device and aerospace industries, both electropolishing and passivation are called out together on specifications.  The proper process then is to electropolish to utilize the surface removal, polishing advantages of electropolishing and then follow it up with passivation to remove any possible free irons on the surface which were exposed during electropolishing. Share your knowledge about electropolishing vs. passivation of stainless steel with your coworkers or employees!

Latest News & Products from Best Technology

Semi-Automated Inline Citric Passivation Solution with Data Tracking

For one medical device manufacturer, the design of a citric passivation solution faced two major challenges: The manufacturing process required performing a water-break test after cleaning parts, before proceeding to passivation. This meant that they could not use a fully automated passivation solution. The system had to have data tracking for quality control purposes. Semi-Automated […]

  • Request More Information
  • Industrial Parts Washers
    • Agitated Immersion Heated Parts Washers
    • Inline Conveyor Wash-Rinse-Dry Parts Washers
    • Immersion Inline Parts Washer
    • Spray Cabinet Parts Washers
      • Front Load Spray Cabinet Parts Washer
      • Top Load Spray Cabinet Industrial Parts Washer
    • Vertical Door Pass Through Parts Washer
    • Rotary Drum Parts Washer
    • Powder Coat Prep Equipment
    • Phosphating Lines
    • Pipe Washing Equipment
  • Precision Cleaning Systems
    • Applicable Articles
    • How clean is clean?
    • How Do Ultrasonic Cleaners Work?
    • Ultrasonic Benchtop Parts Cleaner
    • Benchtop Ultrasonic Parts Cleaning Multi-Tank Systems
    • Ultrasonic Cleaning Consoles
    • Automated Ultrasonic Parts Cleaning Equipment Wash-Rinse-Dry
    • Large Scale Automated Precision Aqueous Cleaning for Cellular Manufacturing
    • Agitated Immersion Ultrasonic Parts Washer
    • Machine Shop Parts Washer for Swiss and CNC Precision Parts
    • Immersible Ultrasonic Transducers
    • Vapor Degreasers
  • Passivation Equipment
    • Applicable Articles
    • What is Passivation? How Does It Work?
    • Nitric vs. Citric Acid Passivation
    • CitriSurf – Citric Acid Passivation
    • Benchtop Ultrasonic Passivation Equipment
    • Ultrasonic Automated Passivation Equipment
    • Automated Ultrasonic Passivation System for Medical Device Parts
    • Passivation Wet Bench for Citric / Nitric Acid
    • Cleanroom Space Saving Automated Passivation System
    • Heated Polypropylene Acid Passivation and Rinse Tanks
    • Agitated Immersion Multi-Tank Passivation Systems
    • Automated Chemical Neutralization Tank / Cart
  • Electropolishing Equipment
    • What is electropolishing? How does electropolishing work?
    • Electropolishing Cycle and Current Calculator
    • What is Dry Electropolishing? How does it work?
    • Passivation vs. Electropolishing
    • Table Top Electropolishing Equipment & Electropolishing Machines
    • Electropolishing Wet Benches
    • Large Scale Part Electropolishing Systems
    • Dry Electropolishing Machines
    • EP System – Open Top Wet Bench with Spray Rinse
  • Surface Finishing Systems
    • Alodine Lines
      • What is Alodine / Chem film / Chromate Conversion Coating?
      • Alodine Chem Film Tank Line
    • Mass Finishing Machines
      • Centrifugal Barrel Finishing Machines
      • Spin Dryers / Chip Wringers
      • Vibratory Bowl Polishers
    • Titanium Anodizing Equipment
  • Wet Benches
    • Citric / Nitric Passivation Wet Bench for Stainless Steel & Titanium
    • Electropolishing Equipment in a Wet Bench / Fume Hood
    • Fume Hoods
    • Wet Benches for Semiconductor & FM4910 Applications
    • Quick Dump Rinse Tank
  • Specialty & Custom Industrial Process Systems
    • Automated Chemical Neutralization Tank / Cart
    • Vapor and Dryfilm PTFE Coating Systems
    • Heated Hot Air Parts Dryer
    • Solvent Recovery Equipment
  • Precision Cleaning Chemistries, Solvents & Fluids
    • Why Use a Parts Cleaning Solvent?
    • 3M Novec Engineered Fluids, Fluorinert Liquids, Solvents & Chemicals
    • Solvent Cleaning with 3M Novec Engineered Fluids
    • Thermal Management / Heat Transfer with 3M Novec and Fluorinert Fluids
    • 3M Novec 72DA 73DE Solvent Vapor Degreaser For Medical Device Instruments
    • Solvent Phase-outs
      • AK225 HCFC-225 Phase Out and Replacement with 3M Novec HFE Engineered Fluids
      • Medical Device AK 225 Replacement with 3M Novec Engineered Fluid Solvent
      • nPB Replacement
    • Aqueous Cleaning Chemistries
  • Case Studies
    • Industrial Parts Washer Case Studies
    • Part Cleaning Case Studies
    • Passivation Systems Case Studies
    • Part Finishing Equipment Case Studies
    • Precision Cleaning Systems Case Studies
  • Equipment Financing
MoreInfo
Home   |   Products   |   Case Studies   |   Feed   |   Product Line Card   |   Site Map   |   Contact Us

Best Technology Inc.
14040 23rd Avenue N.  
Minneapolis, MN 55447
612.392.2414   |   763.519.1460  
Sales@BestTechnologyInc.com


Copyright © 2021 · Best Technology Inc.

Industrial Marketing Website by Marketing Zone