Etching NiTinol with Multi-Etch
NiTinol wires. By Petermaerki (CC BY-SA 3.0).
How to etch nickel titanium, or NiTinol, with Multi-Etch, the safer alternative to hydrofluoric acid
Multi-Etch was originally developed for use on titanium, and is a perfect low-acid (pH 6.8) alternative to hazardous hydrofluoric (HF) acid for etching NiTinol
| Process | Etch time (minutes) |
|---|---|
| 150–160°F double strength | 3 |
| Note: Sample degreased with Simple Green. | |||
| Process | Etch time (minutes) | Etch depth (inches, cumulative total) | Etch depth (millimeters, cumulative total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150–160°F double strength | |||
| 1 | 0.00012 | 0.003 | |
| 2 | 0.00033 | 0.0083 | |
| 3 | 0.00073 | 0.0186 | |
| 4 | 0.00133 | 0.0339 | |
| 5 | 0.00223 | 0.0566 | |
| 6 | 0.00345 | 0.0876 | |
| 7 | 0.00484 | 0.1229 | |
| 8 | 0.00643 | 0.1632 | |
| 9 | 0.00828 | 0.2102 | |
| 10 | 0.01024 | 0.2602 | |
Step-by-step guides on etching with Multi-Etch
The guides below demonstrate etching with titanium, but the order of steps are the same for etching NiTinol.
Tips and tricks when etching with Multi-Etch
Ordering Multi-Etch
Multi-Etch can be ordered throughout the world! View the list of Multi-Etch retailers.
Questions? You can contact Multi-Etch by phone or email.