Black Oxide Finishing Services
CYCOSPRAY offers a quality black oxide service that improves corrosion resistance and aesthetics without significantly altering part dimensions.
Overview of Black Oxide
Black oxide is a chemical surface treatment that is mainly used on metal surfaces, especially steel surfaces. This process improves not only the corrosion resistance of the metal but also its appearance by forming a black oxide layer on the surface.
Black oxide is widely used in military and outdoor equipment, especially for applications that require a low-profile appearance or to eliminate reflections.
Processes of Black Oxide
- Cleaning: Before black oxide is applied, the metal surface usually needs to be cleaned to remove impurities such as grease, dust and rust. Cleaning is an important step to ensure that the oxide layer is formed evenly.
- Acid washing (optional): In some cases, the cleaned metal surface may need to be acid washed to remove the oxide layer and other impurities from the surface to create conditions for the formation of an oxide layer.
- Immersion: The cleaned metal is usually immersed in a solution containing an oxidizing agent. The type of oxidizing agent may vary depending on the material and specification, but typical oxidizing agents include alkaline oxides.
- Oxidation: During the immersion process, the oxidizing agent reacts with the metal surface to form a uniform oxide layer. This oxide layer is black in color and is the source of the black oxide treatment.
- Cleaning and Neutralization: After the oxidation treatment is complete, the metal needs to be thoroughly cleaned to remove any residual oxidant. In some cases, a neutralizing agent is used to neutralize the acidic or alkaline substances remaining on the surface.
- Coating (optional): To further improve corrosion resistance, in some cases the metal surface can be coated after the oxidation treatment.
Benefits of Black Oxide
Reduced Reflection
Black surfaces typically have a lower reflection of light, which helps reduce glare in some light-intensive environments, especially outdoors or in high light conditions.
Increased Corrosion Resistance
The oxide layer formed by the black oxide treatment is corrosion resistant and protects the metal surface from oxidation, rust and other forms of corrosion.
Improved Wear Resistance
While not the primary purpose of the black oxide treatment, the resulting oxide layer may provide some protection against some degree of wear.
Dimensional Retention
Compared to some other surface treatments, black oxide treatments have less effect on metal dimensions, maintaining the accuracy of metal parts.
Aesthetic Effect
Black oxide treatment can give a unique aesthetic effect to metal products, making them more suitable for some high-end products and areas with high design requirements.
Rapid Processing
Black oxide treatment is a simple process with a short cycle time for production needs that require a quick turnaround.