Surface Finish Basics for

Stainless Steel

Bruce Smith
SPX Process Equipment
Waukesha Cherry-Burrell Div.
 Surface Finish Concerns
• System Cleanability
• Drainability
• Inspectability
• Corrosion Resistance
• Organic Buildup
• Acceptability
 Impact of Finish Concerns on
Equipment Design
• Can it be drained and cleaned?
• Can it be polished and inspected?
• Joins
– Welds
– Elastomeric joints
 ASME BPE-2005
• Key Standard for Pharma Surface Finish
• SF Section
• Table SF-1 through SF-9 for acceptance
criteria
 316L Stainless Steel
• High corrosion resistance
• Widely accepted for pharma applications
• Properties are understood
• L = Low carbon for better welding
• Good value
• Substitutes
– AL6XN
– Hastelloy C
– Plastics
• What It Is
Ra
– Roughness Average
• An average of absolute values of the profile height deviations
• Measured in micrometers µm and microinches µ in
• Common industry call outs are 15Ra, 20Ra
– Unless noted are in microinches
• Profilometers
• Procedures for Measurement
 Polishing Nomenclature
Polishing Ra BPE Grit ID Finish OD Finish
Code
1 >64 N/A >150 Mill Mill

3 32 Max SFF1 150 32 Ra Max Mill

5 32 Max N/A 150 Mill 32 Ra Max

7 32 Max N/A 150 32 Ra Max 32 Ra Max

PC 20 Max SFF1 180 20 Ra Max Mill

PL 20 Max SFF1 180 20 Ra Max 32 Ra Max

PD 15 Max SFF4 240 15 Ra Max Mill

PM 15 Max SFF4 240 15 Ra Max 32 Ra Max

 Achieving the Desired Surface
Finish
• Materials
• Polish
• Welding
• Passivation
• Electropolish
 Choice of Materials
• Traceability
• Wrought vs. Cast
 Machining
• 20 Ra finishes now being achieved
• Require machines with higher speeds and
greater accuracy
• Requires the very latest in machine tool and
bit technology
• Eliminates potential for residual abrasives,
smearing and overworking of surface
Polishing
• Tools of the trade
– Automatic Polishing
Machines
– Manual Pneumatic Air
Guns
• Abrasive Materials
– Various grits, generally
aluminum oxide
– Scotch-Brite
– Buffing pads and rouge
 Manual Polishing
More Art than Science
 Polishing Steps for Electropolished Elbow
(15 Ra BPE)

Inside Diameter Inside Diameter

Step #1 Step #2 Step #3 Step #4 Step #5

80 Grit 150 Grit 240 Grit 400 Grit Scotchbrite

Approx. 7 min. Approx. 7 min. Approx. 7 min. Approx. 7 min. Approx. 5 min.

Outside Diameter Inside Diameter

Step #5
Step #6 Electropolish
Scotchbrite/Hardwheel

Approx. 5 min.

Time estimate for

one 2” elbow
 Welding
• Proper Materials
• Proper Procedures
• Certified Manual Welders
– Weld logs
 Orbital Welding
• Modern orbital-welding systems offer
computer controls that store welding
schedules in memory. The skills of the
certified welder are thus built into the
system, enabling the production of identical
welds.
 Heat Affected Zone
• Discolored area near weld
• Surface is modified
• Increased potential for corrosion
• Need to passivate
 Passivation
• Reasons for Passivating
• What It Does
• How It’s Done
 Reasons for Passivating
• Reasons for Passivating
– Increase corrosion resistance of fabricated parts
– Removal of weld coloration
– Restoration of protective oxide layer
• Especially in weld areas
• What It Does – Per ASTM A380, passivation is the
removal of iron compounds from the surface of stainless
steel by means of a chemical dissolution, typically by a
treatment with an acid solution that does not significantly
affect the stainless steel itself. By removing the free iron
from the surface, a potential corrosion site is eliminated
• How It’s Done – Typically done by dipping the part
into an acidic bath or pumping fluid through system.
 What Passivation Does
• Per ASTM A380, passivation is the removal of iron
compounds from the surface of stainless steel by means of
a chemical dissolution, typically by a treatment with an
acid solution that does not significantly affect the stainless
steel itself. By removing the free iron from the surface, a
potential corrosion site is eliminated
• Produces a chemically inactive surface condition obtained
by oxidation of the metal surface
• Enriches the chromium and depletes the iron at the metal
surface
• Produces a chromium oxide film ranging from 5 – 50
Angstroms thick (20-30 typical)
 How Passivation Is Done
• Exposing surface to acid
– Nitric, Phosphoric or Citric/Ammonium Citrate
• Steps in Passivation
– Detergent Pre-Wash
– Water Rinse
– Acid Wash (Passivating Step)
– Final Water Rinse
• Ferroxyl Test or (water, humidity or copper
sulfate)
 Reasons for Electropolishing
• Cleaning
• Improved surface finish
• Improved inspectability
• Improved corrosion resistance
 What Electropolishing Does
• Removes debris
• Removes smeared material
• Smooths the surface by removing “peaks”
• Passivates the surface by enriching oxygen
 How Electropolishing Is Done
• Electroplating in reverse
• Cathode placed near piece
in solution with DC
current
– For tubing cathode is pulled
through tube
– Special cathode fixtures are
often required
• Solution is typically 55%
phosphoric acid and 45%
sulfuric acid
Rouge

• What It Is
• Typical in Hot WFI
Systems
• Benign Influence on
Surface
• Rarely outside of pure
water systems
 Possible Causes of Rouge

• Impurities
• Ferrite
• Impingement
• Damage to Passivated
Layer
 Steps to Reduce Rouge

• Careful and thorough passivation

• Use of wrought materials to lower ferrite
 Specifying for a Good Surface
Finish
• Assure the right material
– Heat certs
• Require the Appropriate Mechanical Polish
– Surface Mapping or COC’s
• Select the Welding Technique
– Orbital or Certified Welder
• Passivation or Electropolish
 Evaluating Surface Finish
• Profilometer
• Visual
– Boroscope
– Wide field optical microscope
• Scanning Electron Microscopy
• Electron Spectroscopy
• Augur Electrospectroscopy
 Documentation
• Assures That the Vendor Did What He Said
He Would
• Key for Smooth Validation
• More Is Generally Better
• On-Line Accessibility through Heat No.
 The Goal
• No Corrosion
• Proper Draining and Cleaning
• Simple Validation
• Within Budget