Passivation: Common Myths

Myth: New Stainless Steel Systems Don’t Corrode

Fact: Many modern stainless steel systems are more susceptible to corrosion. Increased use of recycled, lower-alloy material—combined with fabrication processes such as welding, mechanical polishing, electropolishing, and plating—introduces surface and sub-surface contaminants that promote pitting, rouge formation, and corrosion, especially in pharmaceutical, WFI, and clean steam systems.

Myth: Removing Corrosion Solves the Problem

Fact: Corrosion damage is permanent. Even when corrosion products are removed, the underlying stainless steel is often left more vulnerable to future attack unless the root cause is identified and eliminated. Effective corrosion control begins with failure analysis, not chemistry alone.

Myth: Aggressive Chemicals Are Always Required

Fact: Chemical treatment should never precede root-cause correction. Poor welds, faulty valves, improper materials, or design flaws are often the primary contributors to corrosion. Cleanup should target rouge and corrosion products only—etchants should never be used, as they damage stainless steel substrates and reduce long-term corrosion resistance.

Myth: Passivation Is a Simple, One-Time Process

Fact: True stainless steel passivation is a controlled, multi-step process, not a single chemical application. Long-term corrosion resistance requires precision chelation cleaning before passivation to remove dust, abrasives, heat tint, oxides, and ingrained trace contaminants—particularly aluminum from recycled melts.

Myth: Acid Alone Can Clean and Passivate Stainless Steel

Fact: Common mineral acids, such as nitric acid, rarely achieve true passivity. They generate hazardous waste, can damage stainless steel surfaces, and fail to address critical inclusions. Citric acid, while safer, is not an effective standalone cleaner. Neither method reliably forms a durable, chromium-rich passive film.

Myth: Passivation Fixes Poor Welds

Fact: Corrosion prevention starts with proper welding control. Chemistry cannot correct fundamentally poor weld quality or excessive heat tint. However, CIP’s chelation-based processes provide the highest level of corrosion control possible, even in systems with marginal weld conditions.

Myth: Passivation Can Correct Metallurgical Defects

Fact: No chemical process can correct inconsistent metallurgy. Avoid dissimilar alloys that create galvanic corrosion, limit the use of 400-series stainless components, and minimize delta and sigma ferrite content, especially in castings and welded assemblies.

Myth: One Chemical Fits All Passivation Needs

Fact: Every stainless steel system is unique. Effective passivation chemistry must be custom-engineered based on system metallurgy, service conditions, and contamination profile. Be cautious of “standard” or “cookbook” passivation procedures—they rarely deliver long-term corrosion protection.