The Multi-Etch Blog
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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. There are still companies that have been using HF for a long time and for those companies, we offer the following.
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.
Chris Boothe explaining to middle school students the basics of titanium anodizing. Each participant could try their hand anodizing a strip of titanium, which they got to keep.
In 1990, we were honored with a commission to make a plaque of titanium commemorating the discovery of titanium in Cornwall, UK.
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.
Tumble-finishing titanium is a very efficient and fast way to radius (smooth) edges on titanium parts. However, the one drawback is that it leaves the titanium very dark.
After cleaning a titanium sheet with Multi-Etch, users can 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.
If you're a small or large Multi-Etch user, you know that it is important to stay consistent with etch times. Here are some helpful tips and links for checking and improving the chemistry throughout the lifetime of the etchant bath.
We have a number of important changes -- most importantly, online ordering!