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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Is it Industry Standard to passivate 316L Stainless Steel after welding?
Q. Working on a project using 316L steel metal, advised fabricator that passivation of the welds should be done. For whatever reason they were not done in the shop and now the question arises "you never provided written direction to passivate" ?
John Kochspecifier - LaConner, Washington
October 24, 2009
A. John,
Your fabricator is right -- if you did not add it to the written specs, he does not have to passivate.
It is not industrial standard to passivate SS. Following the written specs is industrial standard.
But he will certainly do it if you order it and you accept the additional cost.
Kind regards,
Marc.
- Diksmuide, Belgium, Europe
October 31, 2009
A. It is not "standard" to passivate. Although in my opinion it should be. Corrosion resistance is the fundamental reason for the creation of stainless (otherwise it would be called shiny silver grey metal bla bla bla HaHa! and not "Stain-Less") Corrosion resistance and passivation go hand in hand. Any stainless job-shop should offer it or at least be able to educate the customer on it and point them in the right direction.
There are however "ASTM Standards" when requesting passivating or other chemical treatments for stainless steel.
ASTM A380
Standard Practice for Cleaning, Descaling, Passivation of Stainless Steels.
ASTM A967 Standard Specification for Chemical Passivation Treatments for Stainless Steel
ASTM B912 Passivation of Stainless Steel Using Electropolishing.
- North Vancouver, BC, Canada
November 24, 2009
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