Chemical Passivation vs. Electropolishing for Household & Consumer Appliances

To prevent costly warranty repairs and premature part failure, consumer appliance metal components can be electropolished to clear away contaminants and other foreign matter embedded in the pores of the metal, leaving the surface shiny, smooth, and heavily resistant to corrosion or contamination.

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Learn why enhanced corrosion resistance is one of the most common reasons engineers across a variety of industries rely on electropolishing to finish their critical metal parts, especially for parts made of stainless steel. Three included case studies show the difference electropolishing makes.

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Whether you are an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), a part manufacturer or a metal working shop looking to solve these common surface problems, it's critical to find a solution to adequately address these surface problems in a cost-effective method.

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Chemical Passivation vs. Electropolishing for Appliance Parts

Household and consumer appliance manufacturers have to meet specific price points while manufacturing quality products.

Manufacturers trying to maintain part reliability at the lowest possible cost may opt for chemical passivation over electropolishing. Passivation, however, does not provide the same results as electropolishing, including the removal of visible heat tint.

Electropolishing appliance parts removes the outermost layer of material from the metal, including carbon steel contaminants embedded in the pores from forming and machining. If not removed, these contaminated areas become initiation sites for corrosion. Electropolishing also gives the part a smooth, shiny surface finish that protects against prolonged exposure to water, prevents ice from sticking and improves the appliance’s overall function.

Testing has proven that when subjected to salt spray testing, electropolished stainless steel is more than 30 times more reliable than chemical passivation. Send your samples for electropolishing and we will evaluate both finish and dimensional changes. If electropolishing is planned during the design stage, the material removal can be factored into your final size specifications.

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