What is a Pro Weld Pickling Paste Used For?

There is no doubt that stainless steel will develop rust or discoloration after a few months!

Also, the stainless-steel welds can develop various problems due to heat produced during the welding such as discoloration or annealing spots!

Whatever might be the reason, the rust scales and depositions do not look good at all and have to be removed as soon as they develop.

But, buffing them off or grinding them is a tedious task and takes a lot of time and effort!

So, here I have come up with an excellent and quick solution to removing all the odds from the stainless steel such as rust, heavy scaling or discoloration…

And that is just by the application of only a paste and that is known as pickling paste!

Yes, a pro weld pickling paste is what you need to remove the rust, scaling, annealing colors and heat side effects from the welded seams of the stainless steel. Just apply the paste and wash it off to get the good old metallic shine on the stainless steel! Not to forget another great advantage of pickling paste is that it aids in detecting pinholes after welding!

Well, in this article I will detail you about the uses and application method of a pickling paste on stainless steel so that you don’t need to do any harder work for those stubborn rusts on your welded stainless steel. Also, you will get to know the risks related to exposure to pickling paste and the necessary safety measures to undertake…

What is Pickling?

Pickling is actually the removal of a very thin layer of damaged stainless steel from the surface in order to get back the shine and perfect colored stainless steel.

Pickling is the process that is used to remove rust, heat affected layers, discoloration, annealing colors, etc. from the surface of the stainless steel that has lost or reduced its chromium levels.

In this process a paste which is generally called pickling paste; a mixture of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid is applied on the affected areas of the stainless steel and then washed off after a few minutes to get the shining stainless steel once again.

Uses of pickling paste:

Pickling paste is used to solve a multiple number of problems related to welds that have been affected by welding heat and also long done welded parts that have accumulated rust:

• • • It is used to clean the weld seams and the adjoining parts
    • It is used to correct discoloration in stainless steel
    • It is used to remove annealing colors on welds
    • It is used to remove stubborn scales
    • It is also used to remove the rust particles that have settled in the welded areas

How to Apply Pickling Paste?

Items required:

• • • Pickling paste
    • Wired brush
    • The affected stainless steel
    • Nylon brush
    • Water
    • Plastic or rubberized scrubber

Steps to improvise:

• • 1. Clean the affected area of the stainless steel with a wired brush to remove the rust or discoloration
    2. Dust off the powdered rust from the surface of the stainless steel
    3. Apply the pickling paste on the affected area, probably on the weld seams of the stainless steel with the help of the nylon brush
    4. Leave the paste on the affected area for a period of 30 minutes or so depending on the amount of settled rust
    5. Wash the paste off with water and if it does not go, make use of the plastic scrubber to remove the paste
    6. Again, wash the stainless steel under running water to get the metallic shine on the stainless steel

What are the hazards related to pro weld pickling paste?

As mentioned above, a pro weld pickling paste is a mixture of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid which is definitely hazardous in nature and can cause the following harms to you:

• • • If inhaled, it can cause severe respiratory problems of lungs
    • If it comes in contact with the eyes, it can not only irritate the eyes, but also cause partial or total blindness
    • When it comes in contact with the skin, it causes severe burns that even can’t be treated at times depending on the severity of the burn and the amount and time of exposure to the acids

Safety measures for handling of pro weld pickling paste:

• • • Wear personal protective gears such as respirators, face shields, safety glasses, safety aprons, safety gloves before handling pro weld pickling paste
    • Avoid contact with eyes and skin
    • Use pro weld pickling paste only in well ventilated areas
    • Store the pro weld pickling paste only in its manufactured container and seal it tightly after use
    • Store the container in a well-ventilated area
    • In case the pro weld pickling paste spills on the surrounding areas while application, immediately clean the area with water

Recommended pickling paste:

• • 1. Pickling Paste Weld Cleaning Stainless Steel Pickling Paste Pickling Gel
    2. Pickling Paste for Stainless Steel 2kg

And it’s a wrap!

That’s all with pickling paste!

Hope this post was useful to you. Stay tuned for more exciting and informative articles on welding…

Till then…

Rust off your stainless steel with the very effective pickling pastes!