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Thefinishing.comHotline:SeriousEducation...plusthemostfunyoucanhaveinmetalfinishing.TedMooney,Webmaster

Coloretchingofaluminumtoshow
orientationofgrains

++++++

Q.

Hello
IsthereanyoneusingNaOHtocoloretchaluminum?HowcanItellifthespecimenisoveretched
ornot?IsNaOHagoodetchantforcoloretchingtoseemisorientationunderpolarizedlight?Any
bettermethod?Thanks.
Fangsong
SheffieldUniversitySheffield,UK
(2007)

A.

HiFangsong,
TheSheffieldUniversitylibraryhas30somemetallographybookse.g.,
ASMHandbookVolume9:MetallographyandMicrostructures,ISBN
0871707063=>
orpreviouseditionlistedasMetalsHandbook,ISBN0871700158.
Also,anearlier(8thEdn.)MetalsHandbook,Vol.8:Metallography,
StructuresandPhaseDiagrams.
MetallographicEtchingbyGunterPetzow,ISBN0871706334(2ndEdn.)
orISBN0871700026(1stEdn.).

ASMHandbook:
Volume9:
MetallographyAnd
Microstructures

PlainNaOHsolutionisonlyusedformacroetching.Etchantsfororientation
ofaluminumgrainsareBarker'sreagent(electrolytic),Poulton'sreagent,
Keller'setch,Graff/Sargentreagentand2gNaOH+5gNaF+93mlH2O.
Someinfoisonline,e.g.,Keller'setchisgivenat
http://www.metallographic.com/Etchants/Aluminum%20etchants.htm
KenVlach

AccessDen

Goleta,California

Finishing.comhonoredKenforhiscountlesshelpful,
wellresearchedresponses.He'disappeared'in2008
neveransweringourseveralinquiriesabouthis
situation.Butwebelievethatthisishisobit,and
wouldgreatlyappreciatehearingfromanyonewho
knewhim.Restinpeace,Ken.Thankyouforyour
hardworkwhichweallcontinuetobenefitfrom.

EtchingAl3004Aluminum
September1,2010

Q.

MyselfMuralistudyingmtechinNITTirchy.RegardingmyprojectIneedetchantforal3004
series.InitiallyIhavetriedKellersreagentbutIwasnotabletogetgoodmicrostructure.Iwantto
seegrainsandgrainsboundariesclearlyinmysample.Canyousuggestotherpossibilities?
MuraliKumarYeddalapalli
studentTirchy,Tamilnadu,India
September2,2010

A.

DearMuraliKumarYeddalapalli

Startlookingatletters26269and7041.
Findingtherightetchingisamatterofexperimentationandpatience,ifyoudidn'tdisturbthe
surfacealreadybyapplyingtoomuchpressureduringthepolishingsteps.
Aluminumisarelativelydifficulttopreparematerialformetallographicinvestigationsfor
detailedinformation,followthislink:
http://www.slideshare.net/corematerials/talatlecture1202metallographyofaluminium
alloys2318129
^Ed.note:Anoutstandinglink,Harry!Thanks.^
Readonothersources,peopleadvisetogoinmanystepstogrit4000withgrindingandslightly
polishwithSiO2suspension.
Thenthepossibleetchants(IpartlyuseddatafromthefamousGerman"Metallographie"book
ofDr.sc.techn.HermannSchumann,IhopeIhavepermissionforthis):
Possibleetchantsforthemacrostructure:
1.Tuckeretchant:25mlofwater,15mlHF,25mlHCl,15mlHNO3
2.Flicketchant:80mlofwater,10mlofHFand15mlofHCl.1020sec.etchingafterthisdip
thespecimeninhotwater,followedbydippinginconcentratedHNO3andrinsing,rinsingwith
ethanolanddrying.
3.Kelleretchant:50mlofwater,10mlHF,15mlHCland25mlofHNO3.
4.0,5mlHFin100mlwater
5.1gNaOHin100mlwater(tobemadefreshlybeforeuse)
6.Villelaetchant:20mlHF,10mlHNO3,30mlglycerine.

OthersproposeHF10ml,HCl10ml,HNO315ml,water65ml

or:HF5ml,HNO310ml,water85ml.
or:HF5,HCl20,HNO320,water55.

Itmakesnosensetolistmore,thesesolutionsshoulddothetrickandyouhavetofindtheright
conditions,whichcouldcostsometime.Goodpreparationisaskillandisoftenunderestimated.
Inallcasesstopetchingifthesurfacechangesfrombrightlypolishedtodullappearance.Ifyou
haveanunderetchedsurface,youcancontinue,butanoveretchedmeansagaingrindingand
polishing.

Forthegrainboundaries:

Inmostofthecases,thegrainboundariesarethefirstonestobeattackedbytheetchant,you
cantrydilutedsolutionslike

0,5mlofHFin100mlwater,typicaletchingtimes15sec.ortryamixtureof0,5mlHF,1,5ml
HCland2,5mlHNO3in100mlwater.

Temperaturesbetween20and40areused.

EtchingtimesforthedilutedNaOHcanrangetominutes.

Flick'sreagentisespeciallymentionedassuitedforgrainboundaryetchingformosttypesof
aluminiumandalloys

90100mlwater

0.110mlHF(Fromthisconcentrationrangewhichisserious,youcanalreadylearnthat
playingwithtime,agitationandtemperatureisadvisableaswell.)

FurthermoreIadviseyoutolookontheinternettoseewhathappensifyougoogle"aluminium
metallografie"or"aluminiummetallography"

Successandbestregards,

HarryvanderZanden
Budapest,Hungary

Ed.note:Greatposting,Harry.Weappreciateit!

Etching1100Aluminum

++++++thisentryappendedtothisthreadbyeditorinlieuofspawningaduplicativethread

Q.

Hi
I'mtryingtoetchaluminum1100torevealgrainboundaries.I'vetriedmanyetchantsbutnone
seemstoworkforal1100.Itriedkeller's,NaOH,HFaswellasbarker'smethod(anodizingin1.8%
fluoboricacid).ThemostIcouldgetwasrevealingcoldwork,flowlinesetcbutneverthegrain
boundaries.Doesanybodyhaveanyotheridea?thanks.
EmreGunduz
UniversityBoston,Massachusetts
++++++

A.

Try5%fluoroboricacidetch.

SumitAgarwal
Providence,RhodeIsland,USA
August2013

A.

HiEmre.WeappendedyourinquiryontoathreadwhereHarryVanDerZanden
suggestedthatit'snotsolelyamatterofpickingtherightetchant,butofexperiencedtechnique,
includingavoidingtoomuchpressureduringpolishingandavoidingoveretching.Isuspectthat
carefulattentiontoHarry'spostingwillsolveyourproblem.Goodluck.
Regards,

TedMooney,P.E.RET
finishing.com
PineBeach,NewJersey

AluminumAlloy(AlLiMg)OveretchesinSeconds
May16,2016

Q.

I'mveryexperiencedatetchingmanyoftheAluminumAlloys.I'maResearch
Metallographer.I'verecentlybeenstumpedby1420AlLiMgthatwe'vebeencasting.I'musing
HBF45%asmyelectrolyte.Itoveretchesinseconds!Anyadvicewouldbegreatlyappreciated.
Theusualetchesdon'tseemtobeworking.
Thanks!
DeniseK.Balston
MetallographerSpokaneValley,WashingtonUSA

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