multi-etch

Important updates from Multi-Etch

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 12:16:29 GMT

We have a number of important changes to announce, effective immediately.

We have online ordering!

Securely place an order and pay on our website . We are open 24/7 365 days per year.

Or, if you prefer, you can continue to call (800) 297-6707 in your orders.

Updated pricing

We have not had any significant price changes for more than five years, but due to increased raw materials and supply-chain costs, we have had to increase our prices slightly:

Orders of 1–19 bags, $59 each
Orders of 20–49 bags, $56 each
Orders of 50 or more bags, $53 each

These new prices are effective immediately — however, companies with existing contracts will not be affected until the end of the contract period.

New distribution contacts

In a greater effort to manage our costs and supply chains, distribution of Multi-Etch is coming in-house.

Email: Antonio@MultiEtch.com

Phone: (800) 297-6707

Store: www.MultiEtch.com/store

As always, if you have any technical questions or need assistance with optimizing your etching process, please call us or email us at info@MultiEtch.com .

We want to emphasize that we are not changing anything about production, so rest assured that you will receive exactly the same quality product you are used to receiving.

We thank you for your continued patronage and invite you to call or email with any concerns about the changes described above.

Etching safety and environmental issues: An overview

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 19:07:33 GMT

Titanium anodizing baths. Image courtesy IPEC Global.

We developed Multi-Etch in 1993 in order to use something safer than hydrofluoric acid to etch titanium. Although still considered hazardous, Multi-Etch has grown steadily for the last 15 years as the safer alternative. Not all uses of hydrofluoric have a safer alternative but using Multi-Etch to strip off the naturally-occuring oxide layer on titanium is a no-brainer.

This is one in a series of free online classes from IPEC Global about etching and anodizing titanium. The information is not new but is still very relevant. There are several more lessons on anodizing that are available free with an email .

By Mark Emilio, IPEC Global

I want to say from the outset that I consider titanium anodizing to be one of the most environmentally friendly and safest kinds of metal finishing or anodizing being done today. That said, depending upon which chemicals you choose, the potential risks to the environment and the safety of your employees are factors that you need to be aware of. You also have to understand that there are numerous options in the kinds of chemistry you can choose. This means that you can increase or decrease the risks of doing titanium anodizing by simply choosing the proper chemicals, equipment and procedures.

Environmental and safety concerns are not the same thing. They are regulated by different agencies and each has its own problems and solutions. When talking about environmental and safety issues, the best thing you can do for yourself is to be informed. And the worst thing you can do is to stick your head in the sand, ignore the regulations, and hope nobody finds out. IPEC Global has been doing this kind of work for the past 30 years and have learned that you can do this and do it well, but only if you decide to do it right. The trick is to be open and honest about your process so as to (hopefully) make the agencies love you and to learn about your process from you. If you need help, call us!

Environment

Environmental issues are concerned with what you dispose or emit into the environment and the community. This includes the air, water and ground. If you decide to use a particular chemical to etch titanium such as hydrofluoric acid, where will it end up after you are done using it? Will you discharge it to the drain and sewer? Or will you package it up and ship it to an approved landfill? Either of these options can be done legally, but which is more expensive in terms of money and manpower? Environmental guidelines and regulations come under the authority of such agencies as the US EPA. Most federal policies are enforced by state and local agencies. So it is probably your city, fire department and sewer district that will talk to you.

What kinds of environmental regulations must you comply with? Here are a few examples you can expect — there may be more or less depending upon your location, so be patient and flexible.

If you intend to discharge your rinse water down the drain, you will most likely be required to obtain an industrial wastewater discharge permit from your local sewer authority. In this case you will be allowed to discharge only those waters which meet specific standards of cleanliness, and you may have to use a wastewater treatment system to neutralize the water prior to discharge (see more on this at IPEC Global ). On the other hand, if you choose to ship your wastes to a landfill, you will need an EPA generator ID number and a licensed hauler to transport the waste. If the process tanks emit a vapor, you may have to obtain an air pollution permit or officially request an exemption. Just do not be surprised if some bureaucrat from an agency you never heard of tells you have to fill out some forms and pay a fee.

Health and Safety

Safety issues are all about keeping people safe. For example, does the hydrofluoric acid you use to etch titanium pose a threat to you personally or your employees? What if it splashes into your eyes or burns your hands? And what kind of personal protection should you use, such as gloves, eye shields or aprons? My personal opinion is, whether you are using hazardous chemicals or not, it is always a good idea to use proper gloves and safety eye glasses. Safety guidelines and rules come from agencies such as OSHA and the Uniform Fire Code. Be ready to have your local fire department come in and inspect how you use and store your chemicals. As long as you have all of your records and can demonstrate that you are in compliance with their regulations, you should have few problems. If you are in the manufacturing business, you are probably already doing these things and titanium anodizing will not be a difficult addition to your existing programs. It just means that you have to do a little more homework.

What specific chemicals are used in titanium anodizing? You have a number of choices, and it is here that the advantage of using a prototype system before committing to a large scale anodizing operation will become obvious.

Cleaners

You can use any one of a hundred water-based soaps that are non-hazardous if the parts are relatively clean before anodizing. Typical cleaning chemicals are TSP (tri-sodium phosphate), Dawn detergent and Simple Green for example. In some cases you may need to use a proprietary or high strength cleaner that contains sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is a hazardous chemical. It will have a high pH from 10&8211;14, (about 4%) and may be heated up to 180°F. At times where parts are coated with heavy grease or oils, some clients pre-clean their parts with Acetone before going into the cleaner. Where heated tanks are used, you will mostly have steam and elevated humidity in the room. As such, you may need an exhaust hood to remove the vapors.

Titanium Etching

The chemicals necessary to etch titanium are usually hazardous. They must be treated with care and only by properly trained employees using the proper safety gear. Hydrofluoric acid, ammonium bifluoride, ammonium persulfate and nitric acid are common. There are also proprietary etchants available from vendors, and some of these etchants plus a couple of the "generic" recipes we provide with our systems are much easier to handle than hydrofluoric acid. Good ventilation is a must when dealing with any of the etchants.

�� Read: Hydrofluoric acid vs. Multi-Etch

Titanium Anodize Electrolytes

The electrolyte is the bath where the actual anodizing takes place. There are a number of anodize baths that you can use. Some are non-hazardous like sodium bicarbonate or trisodium phosphate. If you do not have a specification requirement forcing other chemistries (like a Mil-Spec), we suggest that you stick with these non-hazardous baths.

Many baths are room temperature. Titanium baths used in aerospace processes sometimes require high-alkaline electrolytes which contain sodium hydroxide and these are definitely hazardous. Typical baths used in medical device anodizing will normally be sodium bicarbonate with or without an additive. Many titanium anodize baths are "proprietary" or "trade secrets." But trade secrets many times involve the use of conventional chemicals, while the "secrets" are based to a large degree upon the concentration of the various chemicals and the procedures that are used in anodizing the parts. Selecting the right electrolyte is a matter of choice and experimentation. It may take a little time until you decide on the bath that is right for you and your products.

A note on electrolytes: The use of chemicals like sodium chloride or fluorides are not recommended for electrolytes. Remember that you will be applying a DC charge to the surface of the parts and in doing so you will create various gases based upon the makeup of the bath. With sodium bicarbonate you will create carbon dioxide, but with sodium chloride you will create chlorine gas. So do not experiment with electrolytes unless you do your homework!

To sum up, environmental and safety issues surrounding titanium anodizing are relatively mild when compared to other forms of anodizing and especially when compared to plating and most other metal finishing processes. You do have to do your homework and expect that you will need to train your people in the proper use of these chemicals. If you buy equipment, your vendor should be able to help train your people. You will also need to handle and dispose of your chemicals properly and within the guidelines of the various laws governing these chemicals. But when all is said and done, titanium anodizing is most definitely a "user-friendly" process.

-Mark Emilio

There are still companies that have been using HF for a long time and for those companies, we offer the following:

New protocols for using hydrofluoric acid (PDF) from Carnegie Mellon University's Hydrofluoric Acid Safety Program .

How to reverse anodizing with Multi-Etch

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 19:32:50 GMT

Here is an interesting method for an extractive coloring technique using Multi-Etch.

Perhaps you’ve gone beyond that color you wanted when anodizing titanium or niobium, i.e., the voltage you applied was too high and the coloration needs correcting. You wanted a nice yellow but hit the pink fuchsia range above it.

Rather than completely erasing the color, it is possible to Multi-Etch the anodized item and work backwards to the color you wanted. It takes some practice and skill working with this technique but it can produce the colors you're after.

A quick demonstration:

Use a test strip you’ve anodized and immerse it in heated Multi-Etch. You will observe the color work backwards through the lower order colors. For example, the fuchsia will turn to yellow and then to blue, etc.

When you get to your target color, immediately remove the workpiece from the Multi-Etch bath and rinse it. Room temperature Multi-Etch can also be used for this but the changes will be slower.

A second method with re-anodizing

Alternatively, you could go below the color range you’re after and then re-anodize to your target color instead of erasing completely and starting over. For example, maybe you wanted purple but went past that and got turquoise. You can etch back to yellow and then re-anodize to purple.

Here's a demonstration of that:

We know of some artists that use this extractive method routinely.

Painting with Multi-Etch

For more complex colorings, instead of dipping the whole piece, Multi-Etch can also be selectively applied with a sponge or paint brush. If you need to protect the surrounding areas, mask them with electroplaters tape, rubber cement, or nail polish.

In the piece above, tape has been used to mask off the middle prior to the use of Multi-Etch.

Remember, always test a new technique with scrap until you get the hang of it.

And keep in mind that until you remove your workpiece and rinse off the Multi-Etch, it will continue to change the color.

Happy etching!

A pilgrimage to the discovery of titanium

Mon, 31 May 2021 10:20:25 GMT

Like many of you, we have a long history working with titanium, in our case for making jewelry and wall art.

In 1990, we were honored with a commission to make a plaque of titanium commemorating the discovery of titanium in Cornwall, UK. We were given some materials by the Titanium Development Association (now the International Titanium Association ) to help design the plaque, including a copy of a painting of the discoverer Rev. William Gregor. We included a glass vial of ilmenite (from which titanium can be refined), titanium sponge, an ingot of titanium, and some mill products.

Our commemorative plaque about titanium.

Gregor found the titanium near the parish church of Manaccan and, as he was visiting the church’s rector, Richard Polwhele, the Titanium Development Association presented the commemorative plaque to that church.

Since 1990, we have asked several people to visit “our” plaque when they visited UK but we didn’t realize how far Manaccan is from the usual UK tourist destinations. Then, in 2007, our daughter began a year’s internship in London and we finally had the needed push to visit the plaque and the location where titanium was discovered.

Here is a map showing Manaccan’s location:

Manaccan's location in Cornwall, UK.

In Falmouth, we met local historian and author Derek Carter, who, along with his wife Susanne, acted as invaluable guides in Manaccan and the area called “The Lizard” which includes the southwestern part of Cornwall. Their beautifully detailed tour included fascinating information about U.S. forces in Cornwall during World War II, when Cornwall was called the 49th state due to the overwhelming number of American serviceman.

We took a beautiful drive along the coast, up the Helford River to Gweek, on to pick up Susanne at their home in St. Martin, and then to the church at Manaccan.

The church at Manaccan .

For many years we thought the church in Manaccan was Rev. Gregor’s church but in fact, Rev. Gregor was vicar of Creed parish church. However he paid frequent visits to his friend Rev. Polwhele who was vicar at the Manaccan church. It was during one of these visits that Rev. Gregor discovered some unusual black sand in the water of Tregonwell Mill, near the church. Upon detailed analysis he realized it was a new mineral and named it Manaccanite. A few years later, M. H. Klaproth also discovered titanium in Germany, later realizing it was the same material Gregor had found and crediting Gregor with the original discovery. But Klaproth’s name for the material — titanium — is the name that stuck.

The Manaccan church was begun in the 13th century and has many lovely Norman details. Here I am (on the left) with Derek outside the entrance, across from what used to be the vicarage:

Chris and Derek in Manaccan.

It was a thrill to see our plaque displayed in such a historic setting and, given the abundance of historic objects in this church, made us feel we had been “relicized.” At one point the plaque was on the wall; now it is on a window ledge:

Titanium plaque on the window ledge.

Here I am, with Sandy, reunited at last with the plaque:

Chris and Sandy Boothe with the titanium plaque.

This is the actual location where Gregor found the sand which contained titanium. Here I relive the discovery:

Re-enacting the discovery of titanium.

On the front of the mill is another titanium plaque:

A second plaque about the discovery of titanium.

Finally, here I am with Derek, discussing whether the correct date of discovery is 1790 or 1791:

Chris and Derek discuss titanium.

Keep on etching!

New, more detailed etch rates for metals using Multi-Etch

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 10:26:35 GMT

Strips of anodized titanium using room-temperature Multi-Etch.

Happy Spring from Multi-Etch!

We've been experimenting with Multi-Etch and have some new data to show for our efforts. We tested heated as well as room temperature Multi-Etch on additional grades of titanium and on NiTiNol and retested many metals we did in the past.

If your procedures are working for you, there's no need to change anything.

We did find that room-temperature, double strength Multi-Etch, after having been activated by heating it one time, etches more quickly than we thought. When prepping for anodization or welding, we recommend starting at two minutes instead of ten.

We also measured metal removal rates with more accurate equipment and have improved data as a result.

View our comprehensive etch rates for titanium or our index of etch rates for other metals — these also include information for using Multi-Etch as a cleaner or to remove debris from some metals, and to remove anodized colors on reactive metals.

Above, you can see the results of testing grade 4 titanium strips for anodizing and welding prep in room-temperature Multi-Etch. We etched for varying amounts of time, from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. You’ll notice that the high voltage pinks look great!

We hope this information is helpful to you, and again want to let you know that if your current methods are working there is no reason to change.

Keep on etching!

Multi-Etch Answers Customer Questions

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 10:55:19 GMT

We have two subjects to cover: using Multi-Etch on different titanium alloys and reusing etch baths.

Question:

Will this product work on a titanium alloy? Not sure of the exact composition. When etching polished pieces, should the items be as close to polished already or will Multi-Etch affect the polished finish? What kind of depth will the etching do? Will I see difference in color on different titanium grades?

Answer

Multi-Etch will remove the oxide layer from all grades of titanium including alloys such as 6Al4V (generally known as 6/4 or grade 5) although we have not tested all of the alloys.

Do all your polishing/finishing, bead blasting, wire brushing, etc. prior to dipping in heated Multi-Etch. Adjust etch times for polished material as it will make the titanium matte if left in too long. Seven to ten seconds should be sufficient if you're etching to anodize. We've found that over three minutes will dull the polished finish. But if you left it in longer than three minutes, it will produce a satin finish, i.e., something between matte & polished. This all applies to heated Multi-Etch.

Check out our etch depth table . The longer you leave the titanium in Multi-Etch, the deeper the etch. Generally, for 6/4 titanium you can expect .0005" depth per 5 minutes in heated Multi-Etch.

There are a couple of alloys including 11 and 17 that have palladium in them. We haven't tested those but believe the etching will be slower because of the palladium.

You won't see any difference in the colors from grade to grade.

Question:

If I used my Multi-Etch one day, can I reuse it the next? Do you just place a lid on the solution? How long can it be exposed to air. Does the exposure to air affect its efficacy?

Answer

You can reuse the solution until it is no longer working for you. Put a lid on it to prevent evaporation but even if uncovered, it will not affect the efficacy. We have found the unused solution gets stronger after a couple of weeks or so. We have tested the unused solution up to a year after mixing it, and it still works fine. As always, it's best to pour out the smallest amount you need for a given job, keeping the rest of your solution uncontaminated. But then you can keep using what you poured out until it no longer works.

Have additional questions about Multi-Etch? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions or email us at info@multietch.com

Etch Titanium Now, Anodize Later

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 10:59:56 GMT

Sometimes it’s handy to prepare a titanium piece with Multi-Etch and then protect the piece in a way that allows you to set it aside and anodize later.

One simple way is to Multi-Etch the piece, rinse, and then store in a tank of DI or distilled water. We’ve found this lasts at least 2-3 days, and probably longer.

A second way is to Multi-Etch and then “base coat” your titanium part with 8-10 volts. Those parts can then be stored dry and the base coating will protect the piece for a long time. We’ve stored pieces that way for years and been able to anodize them in the same brilliant colors we can produce when we are working with freshly Multi-Etched pieces. The only drawback with base-coating is that there will be a light tan on the piece, so if you need part of the piece to remain the natural color of titanium, base coating won’t work for you.

A third way that works on flat pieces is to Multi-Etch the piece and then cover and apply anodizers’ tape on the flat piece, burnishing thoroughly to make sure you cover the whole piece completely. You should cut the tape big enough to fold over the edges.

The concept with these three methods is to prevent the formation of the oxide layer that Multi-Etch is designed to remove.

Happy anodizing!

Precision Etching

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 11:29:50 GMT

Since Multi-Etch is not as aggressive as hydrofluoric acid, it excels in removing amounts of titanium as thin as fractions of a micron. This allows for precise removal of material that is difficult to achieve with the blunt action of hydrofluoric acid.

For example, a U.S. laboratory uses Multi-Etch to fine-tune their microwave chambers. Multi-Etch is also used with several particle accelerators in the U.S. and Europe to remove minute amounts of titanium. Besides being able to achieve these precision operations, Multi-Etch, in whatever way it is used, is vastly safer than hydrofluoric acid.

Overview of the Multi-Etch Process

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 23:29:35 GMT

Do you find yourself with extra time on your hands? This could be the perfect opportunity to investigate Multi-Etch. We have a lot of information on our website. If you've been thinking about anodizing titanium or bringing the process in-house, give us a call 928-634-5307 or email info@multietch.com. We are here to help!

NexxtSpine

If you're a current Multi-Etch user, you might also want to ask questions about particulars with your process. And if you're an artist or jeweler, this is a great time to try out a new project. Our distributors are open and waiting for your orders !

Chris & Sandy Boothe

Larger operations might be interested in the custom production lines made by IPEC Global, consisting of all the equipment you need to streamline larger production processes. See http://ipecglobal.com/ and their sister site https://anodizetitanium.com/ .

IPEC Global

Be assured that Multi-Etch LLC is continuing it's production in a secure facility with no interruptions. Be safe everyone.

Titanium Wall Art Using Multi-Etch

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 02:13:19 GMT

Chris and Sandy Boothe began their exploration into titanium when they first used it to make jewelry in the mid-1970's. After joining the Jerome (AZ) Artists Cooperative Gallery in 1999, they added titanium wall art. They wanted to make images of the buildings in Jerome, many of which were built in the late 1800's. Along the way they added outdoor images of the Sedona landscape.

Their first attempts weren't always what they wanted--they needed more definition around the important parts of the images. So, they investigated a masking material called Press-n-Peel Blue Transfer Film . They start by taking photos and then manipulate those photos in Photoshop until they have images that are black and white; gray doesn't work that well with this technique.

Stencil images must be reversed as the mirror image is what will end up on the finished piece.

Then they photocopy the black and white image onto the transfer film.

After cleaning a titanium sheet with Multi-Etch, they transfer the image onto the titanium by ironing the film using a lot of pressure. When the transfer is complete, the resulting image turns from blue to nearly black and is very durable.

Then they color the image with electricity. They use rubber cement to mask the areas they don't want to color and then anodize selected areas with a small paint brush wired to the power supply and dipped in an electrolytic bath. Another method they employ, especially when cloud images are needed, is to wire a sponge to the power supply and "print" cloud shapes.

After a final inspection and occasional voltage touch-up, the image is ready to be framed. A great feature of this process is that the created picture is archival--the colors will never fade.