Stainless steel - Import export

A clean stainless steel surface will generate its own passive oxide layer when exposed to oxygen. It is this oxide layer that gives stainless steels their corrosion resistant qualities, it is possible however to accelerate the formation of this layer by chemical passivation.

Anopol offer comprehensive in-house and on-site subcontract services for cleaning, pickling, passivating and electropolishing of Stainless Steel with projects having been carried out by our site teams in the UK and throughout the world.

The ANOPOL range of products for Cleaning, Pickling and Passivating stainless steels removes contamination, improves corrosion resistance and can produce a clean, aesthetically attractive appearance. In addition ANOPOL offers 2 types of Test Kits, one for checking the presence of free iron on a surface and the other for differentiating between grades 304 and 316.

Stainless steel derives its corrosion resistant properties from a thin oxide film on the surface, often referred to as a passive layer. Surface contamination can prevent the formation of the passive layer and cause stainless steel to corrode. Heat tint or weld burn discolouration are such surface contaminants and require removal.

Anopol can design, build and install plant and equipment for customers to carry out their own electropolishing, pickling & passivation.

Electropolishing is in effect electroplating in reverse. Instead of depositing a coating of another material on a surface the process of electropolishing is to remove a surface layer, typically 20-40 micro-metres in depth in the case of stainless steel.