Effect of pickling process on removal of oxide layer on the surface of ferritic stainless steel

Oxide layer formed on stainless steel surface can result in a decrease in surface quality. Thus, it must be removed. In this paper, we investigated the effect of different pickling processes on removal of the oxide layer. Ferritic stainless steel was used as raw material. After it received annealing treatment, the components and structure of the oxide layer formed on its surface were studied. Then, the annealed stainless steel was pickled in hydrochloric acid solution system and mixed acid solution system, respectively. Results are as follows. The oxide layer on stainless steel surface has a thickness of 15–35 μm. With increase in hydrochloric acid concentration in hydrochloric acid pickling solution, the weight loss rate of stainless steel increases and is always greater than that in mixed acid pickling system. In addition, the surface of the stainless steel pickled in hydrochloric acid is smoother than that pickled in mixed acid. Furthermore, compared with channels in the oxide layer created during mixed acid pickling, those created during hydrochloric acid pickling are more, leading to shorter removal time. These results are important for increasing the pickling efficiency and improving the surface quality of stainless steel.