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ACID
ETCHING
Acid Etching At Its Finest
Acid Etching is defined as the process of cutting a hard surface, such as metal, using a corrosive chemical (etchant) in order to create a design onto the metal.
At Advanced Chemical Etching, our preferred etchant (etching acid) is Ferric Chloride (FeCl3). Acid etching metal can be traced back as far as 1531, when the French scholar Jehan le Begue wrote a recipe for acid etching on iron, distilling ammonium chloride, ordinary alum and ferrous sulphate in a mixture of water and vinegar. Now Advance Chemical Etching produces acid etched metal parts in a large variety of materials, and have pioneered new processes for acid etching Stainless Steel, Titanium, Aluminium and much more.
Acid Etching Process
The acid etching process allows both surface etched detail and cut through areas to be produced at the same time onto metal thicknesses up to 1.5mm.
Etched Raised Areas
Alternatively, surface etched raised areas are produced onto one side only… an example is the manufacture of metal etched paper dies as per the photo on this page.
Metal Surface Etching
Etching detail can also be etched into the metal surface only… for uses such as etched presentation plaques or etched signage.
To Bear In Mind…
Unfortunately we are not able to put designs onto finished metal components or shaped metal items. Acid etching metal is performed by utilising perfectly flat sheets of metal. Please also note we are only able to acid etch metal.
Acid Etching Metal - Materials We Work With
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Acid Etching Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel remains one of the most popular metals Advanced Chemical Etching produce acid etched components in, due in part to is outstanding corrosion and oxidisation resistance. Acid etching Stainless Steel can produce multi complex profile shapes with burr-free edges - no finishing required. This material's versatility makes acid etching Stainless Steel a valuable process for a wide variety of industry sectors.
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Acid Etching Aluminium
Aluminium and its alloys are prized in engineering for their lightweight durability that enables energy saving - however acid etching Aluminium has generally been considered a difficult and slow process using conventional chemistry. Advanced Chemical Etching have pioneered a unique process for acid etching Aluminium that is safer and more controllable than the acid etching industry standard.
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Acid Etching Titanium
Titanium is renowned for its strength and high-temperature performance, however acid etching Titanium is difficult due to the oxidised coating that forms when exposed to air. Advanced Chemical Etching is the first chemical etching company to develop a unique, safer chemistry for acid etching Titanium, and is one of the few chemical etching companies that have production capacity for acid etching Titanium.
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Other Metals We Acid Etch...
Advanced Chemical Etching can acid etch a number of innovative materials. We have developed our own processes for acid etching Copper, Nitinol, Elgiloy, Iron and Nickel to name a few. Please contact our team if you have a project that requires a metal type you do not find on our site - we will always do our best to accommodate your specification.
