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Frosting on cakes is great, but sometimes frosting is not good, especially when it's electropolish frosting.
What is electropolish frost?
Electropolish frosting is a haze or cloudy surface effect found on some electropolished surfaces. Frosting is caused by an uneven electropolish process resulting in unequal removal of metal during electropolishing. The change in metal surface height and surface smoothness results in a hazing effect.
Electropolish frost is typically caused by inadequate surface cleaning prior to bath immersion, or by poor part fixturing.
Can SilcoTek® coatings fix frost?
Our CVD process deposits a thin layer of inert, high purity silicon onto the surface. Thesilicon barrier coating will conform to the surface but will not remove or reduce the frost. In fact the silicon may make the haze more visible.
The only way to remove the frost is to re-electropolish or to mechanically polish the surface, then re-electropolish the part.
How to avoid electropolish frost.
Analytical, pharma and semiconductor markets will specify the EP as ‘frost-free’ with the electropolisher. Discuss the details of the shop's electropolish process with the shop staff and write an agreed to specification for electorpolishing your parts. Reference the spec in your PO and be sure the shop agrees to in writing that they will re-electropolish frosted parts. Inspect parts thoroughly after receipt from the EP shop to assure compliance.
*Image credit: staceysrecipes.com
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