Abrasives and Stainless Steel Passivation

Will abrasives remove the passivation layer?

Yes, abrasives will remove the passivation layer on stainless steel. When you passivate stainless steel you are removing the free iron from the surface so the chromium in the steel can form a protective barrier of chrome oxide. If you abrade stainless steel you will remove the barrier and expose the free iron.

In processing stainless steel, passivating the stainless steel is the last step. Any machining or finishing treatments must be done prior to passivating.

Fortunately, passivating the stainless steel is easily accomplished with Citrisurf®.