Electrolytic Etching Solution for Welded 304 Stainless Steel Specimens
To clearly observe the microstructure of 304 stainless steel welded joints including weld seam, heat-affected zone and base metal, and evaluate welding quality, phase composition & potential defects, proper etching treatment is essential.
Traditional chemical etching like ferric chloride-hydrochloric acid solution shows poor effect and low contrast on corrosion-resistant austenitic 304 stainless steel. Aqua regia works well yet comes with high risks and strict safety restrictions.
In contrast, oxalic acid electrolytic etching is an efficient & controllable method. It enables selective display of different phases and grain boundaries by adjusting electrical parameters, ideal for obtaining clear and stable metallographic structures.
Different from electrolytic polishing, electrolytic etching requires full grinding & mirror finishing in advance.
Use Trojan Alpha-610 automatic grinding machine for sample grinding. Silicon carbide abrasive papers or POS discs are available to simplify procedures and boost efficiency.
Two-step polishing process:
● Rough polishing: YS-JP polishing cloth with 1μm PD-WT suspension
● Fine polishing: ET-JP polishing cloth with 0.05μm SO-A539 suspension
● Perfect specimen pre-treatment guarantees ideal etching results for accurate metallographic analysis!
