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Matte finish on Stainless Steel: How to Do

I have a customer who requires 303 Stainless Steel parts to have a Matte finish prior to passivation. Are sandblasting and bead blasting the most common ways to obtain the Matte finish? Is there a chemical method?

Mike DeCarlo
Designer - Naugatuck, Connecticut, USA
2007

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2007 Mike You should be able to electro etch your parts and achieve a passive finish at the same time. See letter 35659 Willie Alexander - Colorado Springs, Colorado Yes. Sand blasting and bead blasting can be used to obtain a matte finish. However, please make sure the shop uses virgin blasting media in order not to contaminate the stainless steel surface. Michael Liu Taylor specialty stainless steel distributor - Dallas, Texas 2007

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Hello!

I would like to achieve a matte/luster/satin finish on a AISI 316 stainless steel product.

The requirement is based on visual appearance and to avoid annoying reflections and glare.

Does anybody have any experience with how sand- or glass blasting will effect SS regarding corrosion in a marine environment? The part will neither directly or constant be in contact with sea water, but salt water spray it will occur.

Are there other methods that can achieve the same effect?

Espen Auensen
Design Engineer - Norway
November 9, 2011

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To answer you question properly, it would be nice to know how big the part is? Regarding blast finishes, a crystal product such as garnet or alum oxide will give you a deeper frosted pattern look than a rounded shape.

AF Kenton
retired business owner - Hatboro, Pennsylvania
November 11, 2011

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Long-term corrosion resistance in a marine environment is always an iffy proposition, but in general a smoother surface will be more corrosion resistant than a rougher surface. Overall though, since maintaining stainless near the ocean requires regular monitoring anyway, I would just use the finish that looks best for the application.

Ray Kremer
Stellar Solutions, Inc.

McHenry, Illinois

November 15, 2011

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November 17, 2011

Hello Espen,

Ceramic blasting followed by electropolishing will do the trick. You'll achieve a matte/luster/satin finish with all the benefits of an electropolished surface regarding corrosion resistance.
In Holland it is called soft-tone EP and it is being used in maritime and railway environments.

Klaas de Boer
- Heerenveen, Netherlands