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What is Passivation?
Passivation is a chemical surface treatment that forms a thin, inert oxide film on metal surfaces—primarily stainless steel and aluminum—to enhance corrosion resistance. For stainless steel, this process removes free iron from the surface (a major cause of rust) and strengthens the natural chromium oxide layer, directly answering the key question: what does passivation do to stainless steel?
As a core metal passivation technique, it is not just about "protecting" components—it ensures long-term durability in harsh environments (e.g., moisture, chemicals) while preserving the metal’s original precision. Unlike temporary coatings, the passivation process creates a "built-in" defense that won’t peel or wear off easily, making it essential for critical components like medical devices and automotive parts.
Passivation Process Types & Workflows
We customize passivation solutions for different metals (stainless steel, aluminum) and strictly adhere to industry standards to ensure process controllability and consistent results:
(1) Stainless Steel Passivation
As the most commonly used passivation type, we strictly follow the passivation procedure for stainless steel, with the workflow including:
① Pre-treatment: Ultrasonic cleaning to remove oil stains and welding slag from component surfaces;
② Chemical passivation: Immersing or spraying with eco-friendly passivators (compliant with RoHS/medical standards) to form an oxide film;
③ Post-treatment: Rinsing with pure water and low-temperature drying to avoid secondary contamination;
④ Testing: Verifying corrosion resistance through salt spray testing to meet stainless passivation process standards.
The passivation process is suitable for all stainless steel grades (e.g., 304, 316L). It addresses the core need for passivation stainless steel—especially for components after welding, stamping, or grinding, eliminating residual free iron from processing.
(2) Passivation Aluminum
Aluminum’s natural oxide film is relatively thin; professional passivation aluminum processes can thicken this oxide layer to improve weather resistance and adhesion (facilitating subsequent coating). It is often used for lightweight automotive parts or electronic device housings, balancing "lightweight" and "corrosion protection" requirements.
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Key Application Scenarios for Passivation Processes
Different industries have varying requirements for component corrosion resistance and compliance, and our passivation services are tailored to match these scenario-specific needs:
Medical Device Industry
Medical components (e.g., surgical instruments, diagnostic equipment housings) are repeatedly used in high-temperature sterilization and chemical disinfection environments. Medical device passivation not only achieves high corrosion resistance levels but also complies with FDA/ISO 10993 standards—our process removes surface impurities, prevents metal ion leaching, and ensures biocompatibility.
Automotive Industry
Automotive parts (e.g., engine bolts, exhaust pipe components) are long-term exposed to rainwater and road salt. Automotive parts passivation services customize passivation solutions for stainless steel/aluminum components to prevent electrochemical corrosion, extend component service life, and meet the automotive industry’s IATF 16949 standard.
Industrial Equipment Industry
Stainless steel components like chemical pump bodies and valves come into contact with acidic/alkaline media and require passivation of stainless steel to enhance corrosion resistance; meanwhile, aluminum components in textile machinery and printing equipment can resist workshop humidity and reduce oxidative discoloration through passivation aluminum.
Process Comparison: Electropolishing vs Passivation
Many clients confuse these two processes. The table below clearly distinguishes their core differences to help select the more suitable solution:
| Comparison Criteria | Passivation | Electropolishing |
| Core Objective | Forms an oxide film to enhance corrosion resistance | Removes surface metal layers for mirror-like gloss and cleanliness |
| Impact on Precision | No change to component dimensions (extremely thin oxide film) | Slight thinning (approx. 0.001-0.005mm); tolerance control required |
| Suitable Scenarios | Medical/automotive components, chemical equipment (priority: corrosion protection) | Decorative components, semiconductor equipment (priority: aesthetics and cleanliness) |
| Compliance Advantages | Easy to meet FDA/medical standards; lower process cost | Higher cleanliness but higher cost; suitable for high-cleanliness requirements |
| Compatibility with Stainless Steel | All stainless steel grades (especially 316L medical-grade) | More suitable for high-chromium stainless steel (e.g., 304) to avoid material waste |
When is Passivation of Stainless Steel Required?
Not all stainless steel components need passivation, but it is mandatory in the following scenarios to prevent corrosion issues:
① After components undergo welding, stamping, or grinding (increased surface free iron leads to rust risk);
② When components will be exposed to corrosive environments such as moisture, acids, alkalis, or salt spray (e.g., automotive chassis, marine equipment);
③ Stainless steel components in the medical or food industries (must meet hygiene and biocompatibility standards);
④ When clients require component service life exceeding 5 years (passivation can extend the corrosion protection cycle by 2-3 times).
Our Passivation Service Advantages
As a professional custom component surface treatment supplier, our passivation services offer 4 core competitive advantages:
√ Customized Solutions: Design exclusive passivation processes based on different materials (stainless steel, aluminum), industries (medical/automotive), and usage environments to avoid ineffective "one-size-fits-all" approaches;
√ Compliance Assurance: All processes comply with ISO 13485 (medical) and IATF 16949 (automotive) standards;
√ Precision Control: Adopt automated passivation equipment with passivation time and temperature control accuracy of ≤±1℃ to ensure consistent performance across bulk components;
√ Fast Turnaround: Sample testing results available in 3-5 days, and mass production cycles are 20% faster than industry averages to meet clients’ urgent project needs.
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