Pickling & Passivation

Acid treatment that strips the heat tint and oxide scale from stainless, followed by a treatment that restores the passive chromium oxide film.

Why cut edges and welds need it

Welding and thermal cutting leave a chromium-depleted heat tint. That tint is where pitting starts. Pickling removes it; passivation rebuilds the protective oxide layer.

Contamination

Just as important: never grind or brush stainless with tooling that has touched carbon steel. Embedded iron particles rust and start pits in plate that is otherwise perfectly specified.

Related terms

Solution Annealing
Chloride Stress Corrosion Cracking

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