Electropolishing is electro-plating in reverse. Instead of depositing a coating of another material on a surface, the action of electropolishing is to remove a surface layer, typically 20-40 micro-metres in depth in the case of stainless steel.

Electropolishing requires a source of electrical current and a rectifier to convert from alternating current (a.c.) to direct current (d.c.). With the aid of bus-bars, the d.c. is transmitted to work and cathode bars suspend over a tank containing electrolyte solution, normally a mixture of acids. Metal cathode (negative) sheets hand from the cathode bars into the electrolyte. The work-piece to be electropolished is suspended from the anode (positive) bar into the electrolyte and adjacent to the cathode sheets.

When the current is switched on, metal removal from the work-piece surfaces takes place, with micro-peaks being eroded preferentially. This results in a smoothing of the effected surfaces, whilst the macro-profile of the surfaces remains unaltered.

Careful selection of the electrolyte solution employed allows electropolishing to be carried out on such metals as aluminium, copper and brass, but it is in the treatment of stainless steel that it has found its greatest commercial application. Hastelloy ©, Inconel © and other nickel-chromium alloys have proved suitable for electropolishing.

In the majority of cases, electropolished stainless steel surfaces are bright and highly reflective. This results from the removal of an often contaminated surface layer and the electrochemical action of micro-smoothing. The advantageous features resulting from such a bright and smooth surface are many. The passive oxide layer, which is essential to prevent stainless steel from corroding, cannot be improved upon following electropolishing. By reducing the total surface area, a result of micro-smoothing, products are less likely to adhere to an electropolishing finish. In the same way, surfaces can be cleaned and kept clean more readily. Friction is also reduced and the mechanism of preferentially removing surface high spots, makes electropolishing suitable for eliminating fine burrs. The highly reflective bright finish is ideally suitable for a number of decorative applications, particularly where the shape of the item requiring polishing is extremely complex.

Industries benefiting from the advantages of characteristics of electropolishing are numerous and continue to grow. The following are some of the technologies that have exploited electropolishing features: