What Is Passivation?

To understand the concept of  passivation, it is necessary to understand why stainless steels are “stainless”?

The reason is that a very thin protective oxide film forms on the surface of clean stainless steel in the presence of oxygen in normal air. The effect is to render the surface “passive” or “inert”, i.e. in a condition of “maximum corrosion resistance”.

Passivation is a process performed to make a surface passive, that is to maximize its corrosion resistance.

For more information, contact Electro-Kleen.