DelstarStainless steel pickling is the most common pickling process used at Delstar's facility. Delstar has some of the largest stainless steel pickling tanks in North America. In tank or out of tank, Delstar can get the job done. We can pickle any part that can be transported to our facility. Our “out of tank” stainless steel pickling capabilities are second to none found anywhere in the world. Our unique capabilities allow us to process extremely large parts that most other companies would not even consider.
The pickling process is used to remove a thin layer of metal off of the stainless steel part. This is different from the descaling process, which removes visibly thick oxide scale from the stainless steel part. Our pickling solutions for stainless steel are mixtures of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid. Corrosion on the contacted part can occur if the process is not done by a pickling specialist. To match our state of the art facility, Delstar has some of the top pickling specialists in the country.
The most common application for stainless steel pickling is “pickle/passivate” by Delstar. This is our “one-step” process which removes heat tint and weld scale while simultaneously passivating the surface of the parts being processed. Most of our new customers are surprised to find out that stainless steel pickling also accomplishes passivation. However, where required by our customers, Delstar will pickle and passivate in two complete and separate steps. In summary, Pickling passivates, Passivating passivates and Electropolishing passivates.
The next most common application for stainless steel pickling is as a surface pre-treatment step prior to electropolishing. When a part has heat tint and weld scale, Delstar recommends pickling prior to electropolishing to achieve the best results.
Stainless Steel Pickling Standard in use at Delstar:
- ASTM A 380, Standard Practice for Cleaning, Descaling, and Passivation of Stainless Steel Parts, Equipment and Systems
Contact us for your stainless steel pickling and descaling services needs.
