【Electro Polishing for Stainless Steel - EP 】
Micro-giant BioEngineering 2009.06.19
1. Features:
The stainless steel workpiece is used as an anode, immersed in a special electrolyte then energized. The surface of the workpiece will be electrolyzed to obtain a smooth and glossy surface. This method is called "Electro Polishing" (EP), "Electrochemical Polishing" or "Electrolyte Polishing".
2. Comparison with mechanical polishing:
| Project | Mechanical polishing | Electrolytic polishing |
| Shape and size | Can handle large objects such as vessels, but cannot handle complex shapes, small parts, and thin plates | It can process complex shapes, small parts, and thin plates, but it is limited by the electrolytic cell and has processing size restrictions. Generally, only the fermenter below 1kL can be electrolyzed. |
| Processing characteristics (1) | The use of cutting and grinding to make the metal surface smooth and shiny will cause the crystallization of stainless steel metal to deteriorate and produce plastic deformation. | No grinding and no plastic deformation |
Processing characteristics (2) | Tissue changes due to local heating. And will leave abrasive materials and grease on the metal surface, which must be treated separately to obtain a clean surface. | The surface is cleaned after machining |
| Corrosion resistance | Poor | The grinding surface is corrosion resistant |
| Luster | Brighter, but harder to maintain | Gloss lasts longer |
| Environment | Dusty | None |
3. Comparison with chemical polishing:
| Project | Chemical polishing | Electrolytic polishing |
| Chemicals | Chemicals | Use electricity instead. An electrolytic polishing bath has a long life and can be used for a long time. |
| Environment | Polluting gases | None |
| Metal surface | Normal | Glossier |
| Corrosion resistance | Poor | The corrosion resistance of the abrasive surface is better. |
| Luster | Poor | lasting gloss |
3. Range of applications and features:
Stainless steel electropolishing is widely used in the semiconductor industry and other instruments, such as kitchen utensils, sanitary ware, handicrafts, and other manufacturing industries, as well as valves, joints, pipe fittings, seamless pipes, fluid control components, etc. Stainless steel laser cutting workpieces can be used to remove the burrs generated by laser cutting of stainless steel, remove oxides on the surface of stainless steel, obtain a smooth and clean surface, increase the corrosion resistance of the workpiece, improve the reflectivity, and it will not be affected by the dimensional accuracy of the workpiece.
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