Etching process for zirconium metallic objects
This patent describes an improvement in a process for etching of zirconium metallic articles formed from zirconium or a zirconium alloy, wherein the zirconium metallic articles are contacted with a bath of aqueous hydrofluoric acid-nitric acid etching solution in a tank and zirconium dissolves into the bath, and the etching rate of the bath decreases as the zirconium content of the bath increases, and wherein, depending upon the zirconium content of the bath, the bath may then be replenished with acid and further utilized to etch additional zirconium metallic articles, further utilized to etch additional zirconium metallic articles without being replenished with acid, or discarded from the tank. It comprises: providing a predetermined volume of a bath of an aqueous hydrofluoric acid-nitric acid etching solution having a known dissolved zirconium content; immersing an object having a known quantity of a zirconium metal and having a known surface area into the predetermined bath volume; determining the rate of the rise in temperature of the predetermined volume of the bath over a known period of time upon immersion of the zirconium metal object which rate of rise depends upon the dissolved zirconium content of the bath.
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4927492; A
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-352673A
- OSTI ID:
- 6714546
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
360101* -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
ACIDIFICATION
ALLOYS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ETCHING
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
METALS
MIXTURES
NITRIC ACID
SOLUTIONS
SURFACE FINISHING
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZIRCONIUM
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS