What is the purpose of surface treatment for beer equipment liners?
1. Stainless steel has excellent rust and heat oxidation resistance, and its main function is to prevent rust and corrosion. The rust resistance of stainless steel largely depends on the surface passivation film. If the film is defective or insufficient, the stainless steel will still corrode.
2. Mechanical polishing – In addition to giving stainless steel a generous and beautiful appearance, surface treatment of stainless steel serves another purpose. The main reason stainless steel does not corrode is that it is an alloy. The particles of this metal are not active, making it difficult to chemically react with air. However, stainless steel is not 100% immune to corrosion; its resistance depends on how and where it is used.
3. After mechanical polishing, a protective film is formed on the surface of the stainless steel by compressing the surface. This membrane better isolates the reactions caused by water, air, and other particles, making the surface particles of stainless steel tighter and stronger. This improves the corrosion resistance and lifespan of stainless steel.
4. Pickling passivation – Acid pickling passivation is usually carried out in engineering to fully utilize the corrosion resistance of stainless steel. During the manufacturing, assembly, welding, and inspection of welded joints (such as defect detection and pressure testing), surface oil stains, corrosion, non-metallic dust, low-melting metal impurities, paint, and welding slag can occur. These substances affect the surface quality of stainless steel equipment and components, damage the oxide film on the surface, reduce overall corrosion resistance and localized corrosion resistance of the metal (including pitting corrosion and crevice corrosion), and cause stress corrosion cracking.
5. Stainless steel surface cleaning, passivation, and pickling not only maximize corrosion resistance but also prevent product contamination and achieve a beautiful appearance.
