WHY CLEAN AND PASSIVATE STAINLESS STEELS AFTER FABRICATING?

Fabricating and forming of stainless steels, which include operations such as plasma cutting, welding, guillotining, binding, rolling and dishing, can result in contamination of the stainless steel by plain carbon steels, causing initiation and early staining of the finished product. The most effective way of removing this contamination is by chemical means. The heat generated during the welding processes of stainless steels affects the naturally passive oxide film adjacent to the weld. It is of paramount importance to remove and re-passivate this heat-affected zone by chemical means, to restore the stainless steel to its attractive appearance and, most significantly, its corrosion resistance.