Passivation of stainless steel and aluminum: when and why
In mechanical engineering for electronics, protecting materials is crucial to ensure every product’s longevity, resistance, and reliability over time. Among the treatments that Elmec offers for your projects, passivation is particularly useful for improving the properties of the materials we have chosen for your mechanical devices.
Why?
It makes them corrosion-resistant, less sensitive to external agents, and much more durable. In other words, it is perfect for supporting your goals and enhancing the development of your electronics.
What is passivation?
Passivation is a chemical treatment applied to metallic materials to increase their resistance to corrosion. Specifically, it is performed on stainless steel, aluminum, or carbon steel by first removing pollutants, contaminants, and impurities from their surface, and then creating a stable protective oxide layer that slows down material degradation. This invisible layer acts as a shield against external agents, preventing wear and tear.
Passivation in mechanical engineering for electronics
In the field of mechanical engineering for electronics, passivation is an essential treatment to guarantee the longevity and performance of metallic components. Electronic devices and equipment are often used in challenging environments that can be aggressive to metals (extreme temperatures, high humidity, chemical substances, etc.).
Thanks to passivation, you can ensure that metallic components maintain their properties intact, avoiding damage, enhancing the performance and reliability of electronic devices, and reducing maintenance costs.
Additionally, passivation is a critical process in preparing metal surfaces for subsequent treatments like painting or plating, ensuring that coatings adhere properly and offer optimal protection.
Passivation of stainless steel
Stainless steel is widely used for its excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance due to the chromium that forms an oxide layer on its surface. However, the natural passivation of stainless steel takes time and occurs only under specific conditions. Chemical passivation accelerates this process and creates a protective layer using special oxidizing substances.
This process ensures excellent corrosion resistance for your mechanical devices, protecting them against the aggressive substances they may encounter on-site. Additionally, passivation is often chosen as a treatment after mechanical processes or other manipulations that may leave residues on the steel’s surface, exposing it to contaminants. The passivation treatment of stainless steel removes these impurities and restores the chromium oxide layer, ensuring maximum protection.
Passivation of aluminum
Aluminum also has excellent corrosion resistance thanks to the spontaneous formation of an oxide layer on its surface. However, when exposed to particularly aggressive environments or handled during processes that can remove or damage its protective layer, aluminum may require passivation.
The treatment significantly improves the material’s resistance in difficult conditions, such as exposure to aggressive chemicals. Additionally, it optimizes the adhesion of coatings and paints, increasing aluminum’s versatility for specific applications.
Passivation of carbon steel
Less common than the passivation of stainless steel or aluminum, carbon steel passivation becomes necessary when corrosion resistance is a crucial prerequisite for the mechanical case you want to create. Carbon steel is generally more susceptible to corrosion than other materials, and passivation can be used to improve its durability.
Passivation: one of the services we can offer you
With a mechanical mind and an electronic heart, Elmec knows how to choose the most suitable materials for your installations and also knows the most effective strategies to make them more robust, functional, and durable over time.
Our team, in collaboration with specialized partners in the most delicate metal processing techniques, is capable of performing high-quality passivation treatments that meet your needs and ensure effectively protected mechanical devices against corrosion.
Discover all the core processes, surface finishes, and accessory processes we can offer. Contact us to discuss your project and find out how to achieve exactly the results you have in mind!