Electro-Cleaning

Technical Brief
Contact : Marco Benchoam
E : [email protected]
M : +61-2 9364 7070

Electropolish Pty. Ltd ACN# 146 102 776

Telephone
Unit 2 / 581-587 Gardeners Road, Mascot, Sydney, NSW 2020 Fax
Mail : PO Box 21, Mascot, NSW 1460, Australia
Mobile
Web Site: www.electropolish.com.au
Email

: +61-2-93647070
: +61-2-93647099
: +61 418646595
: [email protected]

Stainless Steel Electro-Cleaning

Contents:
Cleaning methods for stainless steels
How our process works & what it does
Test method & environments
Comparison with alternative methods
Cleaning of weldments
The Electropolsih advantage.

Introduction
Stainless Steel is often chosen for industrial and architectural applications because it withstands corrosion, is long
lasting, easily fabricated, requires minimal maintenance and looks good.
Unfortunately exposure to many industrial environments can result in corrosion which typically occurs in weldments
but can also be initiated in the parent metal in those areas which have not been thoroughly cleaned and
passivated. In severe cases, pitting and even structural failure can occur if the corrosion is not adequately treated.
Our electrocleaning process utilizes an electric current in combination with a mild electrolyte, to preferentially
dissolve the surface rust, iron contamination and inclusions instantly, leaving the stainless steel surfaces surgically
clean. Additionally our process uniquely reforms the original protective chromium oxide layer, passivating the
surface and improving its long term resistance to subsequent corrosion and staining.
Our latest developments in application technology have allowed us to treat stainless steel surfaces on site quickly
and effectively, providing an economic, long term solution to corrosion. Figure 2.
Figure 2. Seaside balustrade cleaned using the Electropolsih process, giving long term corrosion resistance

The process is benign, safe to the materials being treated, safe for the operator and the environment. There are no
noxious fumes and it is totally silent. Unlike traditional abrasive or acid cleaning methods there is no scratching,
discolouration or etching of the surface.
At Electropolsih we are proud to have developed an effective cleaning solution for architectural stainless steel. Our
process is now well proven on major infrastructure restoration projects. We have confidence in our ability to provide
an excellent solution, backed with experience and friendly service.

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Cleaning methods for stainless steels

The traditional methods of treating surface corrosion of stainless steels utilise either mechanical cleaning,
application of various acid solutions or electropolishing (3). ASTM A380 and ASTM 967 standards provide a series
of options for cleaning and passivation of stainless steel surfaces, including electrocleaning.
Mechanical cleaning
Mechanical linishing, buffing and polishing is generally slow, dirty, noisy, labour intensive and expensive.
With sufficient time and effort, the surface can be highly polished but may not reflect the original finish.
Following mechanical polishing, the corrosion resistance is initially lowered. Over time, the surface oxide will grow
and passivate naturally in air and the corrosion resistance will gradually approach that of the original mill finish.
The corrosion resistance of mechanically linished finishes is generally lower than that of the annealed and pickled
mill finish as they are severely cold worked in the surface layers, making them prone to attack and can retain
corrosive material such as salt and dirt particles which readily initiate corrosion attack. Highly buffed surfaces
however can result in better corrosion resistance than a linished mill finish.
Acid cleaning
Acid pickling and passivation(4) can be achieved by either immersing the component in a bath of mixed Nitric and
Hydrofluoric acids for a significant time or applying commercially available Pickling or Passivation pastes. In
general these solutions are highly effective in dissolving surface rust, iron contamination and oxidation products.
Generally, acid pickling can return the corrosion resistance to the same level as the original parent metal.
Acid cleaning tends to etch the material surface unevenly and poses significant OH&S issues (14) along with EPA
compliance costs and generally involves acid neutralisation and disposal.
In some cases nitric acid or milder citric acid solutions are used for passivation treatment, however citric acid is
ineffective at removing heavier oxidation and corrosion products..
Electropolishing
Electropolishing is an effective method of surface cleaning, which also results in removing oxides and iron from the
metal surface. It also preferentially dissolves iron and hence improves the Cr-Fe ratio of the surface layers. It alters
the surface appearance by smoothing, electrochemical polishing of the surface significantly improves the
corrosion resistance.
Whilst this process is very effective, it usually involves dismantling of the structure and removing it to a bath where
the polishing process is carried out, generally making it relatively expensive for remedial treatments. Ideally
electropolishing should be done immediately after fabrication but prior to the initial installation. On site
electropolishing is possible but presents many logistical challenges and is quite expensive.
Electrocleaning
Electrocleaning is based on a similar process to electropolishing but it is portable and applied locally.
This process has significant advantages over each of the above methods if applied correctly. Firstly, there is no dirt,
buffing compounds or noise involved. The surface appearance is not altered by either mechanical abrasion, etching
or polishing, it is simply returned to its original condition, clean and bright.
This process is very effective in passivating and also improving the corrosion resistance of treated surfaces. This
process may be performed on site either during installation or as a remedial treatment.
Passivation
Passivation is the process of forming a natural, protective, corrosion resistant layer on stainless steel surfaces.
This is promoted by cleaning the surface of dirt, grease & oil, salts and iron contaminants. Water, detergents and
mechanical cleaning techniques can readily remove dirt, oils and salts on the metal surface. Iron and iron oxides
are not so readily removed with standard cleaning methods, hence pickling and passivating solutions containing
phosphoric, citric, nitric and hydrofluoric acid are often used for this purpose.
The Electropolsih method results in a clean, fully passivated surface which is generally superior to that produced
using conventional pickling or passivation solutions.

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How our process works

The electrochemical cleaning process
The Electropolsih process involves applying an electric current through an electrolyte to the work piece in order to
clean the metal surface, Figure 3. The electrochemical process itself is not new and is rather simple.
There are several techniques available utilizing either AC or DC current, generally with mild acids, but all have
shortcomings with regard to performance and results. The most significant limitations are that they are relatively
slow and ineffective on large surface areas, can result in local etching of the surface, depending on which acid is
used.

Electrolyte
Applicator
Corrosion stains

Current
Base Metal

Figure 3. Electrochemical cleaning process

The Electropolsih process has involved significant development of each aspect of the process, especially the
ability to clean large and complex surfaces quickly and efficiently without etching or visibly altering the surface
condition.
What it does
Our process performs several functions in the one operation:

Electrocleaning dissolves rust, stains and iron oxides from the metal surface

Cleans but does not scratch, etch or polish the surface

Dissolves non-metallic inclusions which act as pitting initiation sites

The metal surface is thoroughly cleaned and is fully passivated.

Microscopic smoothing of the metal surface:

o Reduces the risk for further build up of surface contaminants which promote further corrosion
o Increases the pitting corrosion resistance of the surface

Figure 4. Balustrades cleaned using the Electropolsih process.

What it does not do
Any pre-existing defects such as scratches or pits from prior corrosion, will be treated, but not removed.
Highly polished surfaces will be cleaned but not necessarily returned to the highly buffed original finish due to the
corrosion processes involved in staining.

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Testing method and environments

The ASTM standards A 380 and A 967 provide options for cleaning and passivation of stainless steel surfaces.
Whilst they do describe various methods to be used and some simple evaluation tests, there is no specified criteria
for the measurement nor required level of passivation or corrosion resistance of the cleaned surface.
In order to establish the efficacy of our process, we have employed the latest (1) electrochemical corrosion testing
techniques. The critical pitting potential CPP technique has been utilised in our process development as well as on
site determination of the corrosion resistance of each job both prior to cleaning and is also used as validation to
confirm we have achieved a consistent and adequate level of passivation and corrosion resistance.
Corrosion testing and evaluation is carried out using a portable electrochemical potentiostat, which allows easy
access to virtually any size object with various surface geometries even on-site. Determination of the pitting
potential has been found (2) to be the most appropriate test method for standard stainless steel grades when
compared with critical pitting temperature and critical chloride concentration methods.
The sensor makes electrolytic contact with the surface.
Capillary forces cause electrolyte flow through a porous
polymer pen.
By positioning the pen on the sample surface, electrolytic
contact is established and electrochemical characterization is
2
possible. The measured test area is 1.5 mm .

Fig 1: Electrochemical measurement of a stainless steel tube.

Electrochemical testing
Electrolytes of 1.0M and 5.0M NaCl solutions are prepared from distilled water and reagent grade chemicals. All
potentials are referred to saturated calomel electrode (SCE). Prior to testing the surface is cleaned with ethanol.
The surface is locally contacted by the electrolyte and is controlled by an electrochemical control unit.
The instrument runs polarization scans at a rate of 10 mV/s in order to determine the pitting potential. A typical
calibration measurement is shown in Fig. 5. Running several calibrations results in the averaging of the instrument
of the determined pitting potentials.

Fig. 5. Calibration scan determines pitting potential

Fig.6. Corrosion current at the reference potential

Once calibration is completed, the instrument decreases the potential by 120 mV. By running potentiostatic tests for
10 seconds, the relative corrosion resistance is determined. Typical results are shown in Fig. 6.
If the current shows typical passive behaviour it can be concluded that the tested area exhibits a pitting potential
that is comparable or higher than the area where the instrument was calibrated. If the current shows a strong
increase, it can be concluded that pitting is initiated. Hence, the tested area exhibits a corrosion resistance that is
significantly decreased compared to the area where the calibration was performed.
The above technique, as well as direct determination of the pitting potential have been used extensively in the
determination of the appropriate processes for surface preparation, electrocleaning, neutralisation and rinsing.

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Comparison with alternative cleaning methods

Utilising the electrochemical test technique described above, the effectiveness of several standard cleaning
methods used on stainless steels has been compared. The results are summarised in Figure 7.
In this case, the alloy tested was grade 316L stainless steel with an original 2B surface finish. The tests were
conducted at 20 deg C with a 5N NaCl solution. Acid cleaning was performed with 20% Phosphoric acid solution.
Mechanical abrasive cleaning was performed with a Nylon pad and a domestic abrasive cleaner.

Effective Electrocleaning

Figure 7.

Comparison of the corrosion resistance of different cleaning methods.

Corrosion Resistance (mV SCE, 5M NaCl, 20C, 316L 2B)

Cleaning of weldments
Cleaning of stainless steel weldments is important in order to achieve adequate corrosion resistance after welding
with particular emphasis being given to the Heat Affected Zones (HAZ). Methods such as mechanical and chemical
cleaning are typically used. Electrochemical methods have also been employed where pickling pastes are
considered dangerous for OH&S reasons.

Weld oxidation
Weld high temp oxide
Natural passive layer

(20-40 Ang)

(1,000 Ang)

Low temp HAZ

Weld

Parent metal

Chromium depleted zone

(200-2,000 Ang)

Interference colours of the high temperature oxide

Brown

Blue

Green

Tig weld rootside Argon purged

Figure 2. Surface oxidation, depleted zone and interference colours of stainless steel welds.
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The high temperature heat affected zones (HAZ) of weldments are considered (1) to be chromium depleted, with
an attendant reduction in corrosion resistance. The surface oxidation and chromium depleted zone and interference
colours are represented in Figure 2.
Testing was conducted to identifying the corrosion resistance of the different parts of the weldment, using some
common methods of treating the welds. The material tested was standard 2B mill finish grade 316L stainless steel.

Mechanical cleaning was conducted by buffing using a 3M Scotchbrite pad.

Acid cleaning was performed using pickling paste of 15% phosphoric acid and 0.9% Hydrofluoric acid.
Electrocleaning was performed using the Electropolsih portable electrocleaning process.

Post weld cleaning

Corrosion tests were also conducted on weldments. The parent metal, low temperature HAZ, high temperature
HAZ and weld metal, were tested after various forms of cleaning.
Automatic 316L MIG welds with argon purge on the root side were used. Tests were conducted on grade 316L, 2B
material using a 1M NaCl test solution at 18 deg C. The test results are summarized in Figure 5.

Post weld cleaning 316L

Pitting potential in 0.1% NaCl

(mV SCE)

Corrosion resistance

800

Technopolish
electrocleaning

700
600
500

Pickling paste

400

Original surface 2B
300

Buffed 3M

200

As welded

100
0

Original
surface

Treated
Low temp
parent metal
HAZ

High temp
HAZ

Weld metal

Tig weld rootside Argon purged

Figure 5. Effect of cleaning methods on a stainless steel weldment.

Pickling with commercial pickling paste significantly improves the corrosion resistance compared with that of the
as-welded material. The electrocleaning process not only recovered, but can improve the corrosion resistance to a
level above that of the original parent metal.
It is concluded that electrocleaning is at least as good as pickling and can even improve the corrosion resistance of
weldments.

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The Electropolsih advantage.

Immediate, spectacular looking, long lasting results
No messy abrasives or noise, No noxious fumes or smells
Non abrasive, No scratches, No etching or staining
Long term protection, with a maintenance guarantee
Environmentally friendly solution
All treated surfaces are fully passivated

It is fast and efficient when compared with pickling and suffers none of the drawbacks of the existing methods. The
Electropolsih system offers significant operational cost savings as well as greatly reduced OH&S requirements.
Safe and environmentally friendly:
A key benefit of the Electropolsih system is that it is safe, cost effective and environmentally friendly. It uniquely
addresses both OH&S and EPA compliance costs, as well as bath monitoring and maintenance costs.

References:
(1)The ec-pen in quality control: Determining the corrosion resistance of stainless steel on-site
M. Bchler, C.-H. Vote, D. Bindschedler, and F. Stalder
SGK, Swiss Society for Corrosion Protection, Technoparkstr. 1, CH-8005 Zrich, Switzerland
(2) Estimating the Pitting Resistance of Low-Alloy Stainless Steels
M. Berner, & S. Mischler, Laboratoire de Mtallurgie Chimique, Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne
C.-O. A. Olsson, Avesta Research Centre, Outokumpu, Sweden

Australian Stainless Steel Development Association ASSDA website:

(3) Surface treatments
(4) Pickling and passivation
(5) 2B, 2D and BA Cold Rolled Finishes
(6) Crevices and Corrosion
(7) Stainless Steel Fabrication: Common Traps to Avoid
(8) Surface Finish No.4
(9) Fabrication and Special Finishing Methods
(10) Preventing coastal corrosion - teastaining
(11) 304 grade stainless steel
(12) 316 grade stainless steel
(13) 2205 grade stainless steel
(14) Acid scheduling

Electropolish Pty. Ltd ACN# 146 102 776

Telephone : +61-2-93647070
Unit 2 / 581-587 Gardeners Road, Mascot, Sydney, NSW 2020 Fax
: +61-2-93647099
Mail : PO Box 21, Mascot, NSW 1460, Australia
Mobile
: +61 418646595
Web Site: www.electropolish.com.au
Email : [email protected]
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