Niobium

Jewelry Discussion
1

Can you acid etch niobiu with nitric acid, or any other acid?

Isaac

2 
Can you acid etch niobiu with nitric acid, or any other acid?

You might try it–remember, niobium’s color is only “skin deep”,
so you will expose its natural aluminum-type color by etching.

3

Can you acid etch niobiu with nitric acid, or any other acid?

The best person to ask is Bill Seeley of Reactive Metals Studio.
While I know that titanium is usually acid treated before
coloring (anodizing) niobium doesn’t need it. Hydroflouric acid
will dissolve it, but it is not something you would want to play
with.

Rick Hamilton
Richard D. Hamilton, Jr
http://www.rick-hamilton.com
@rick_hamilton

4

Can you acid etch niobiu with nitric acid, or any other acid?

The best person to ask is Bill Seeley of Reactive Metals Studio.
While I know that titanium is usually acid treated before
coloring (anodizing) niobium doesn’t need it. Hydroflouric acid
will dissolve it, but it is not something you would want to play
with.

Bill Seeley can be contacted at reactive@sedona.net. They have a
dry powder mixture for an acid that works for cleaning their
reactive metals products. There is also a mild (3%-still very
unpleasant) hydrofluoric acid paste that comes in a tube that is
used by stained glass folks to etch glass with. I understand it
can be used to clean titanium with. Plain old abrasion by sand
blasting might be good. One person I know who works with niobium
a lot sands it carefully and finely, then polishes it before
coloring. Charles

Brain Press
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada
Tel: 403-263-3955 Fax: 403-283-9053 Email: @Charles_Lewton-Brain

Metals info download web site:
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the Metal Web News:
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5

Yes, there is a product called NO-SAN put out by Trio-dent,
Inc. Box 2082 Union, New Jersey 07083 908-686-1627

To etch _Titanium
Place resist covered piece in bath of NO-San full strength to
etch to desired depth revmove, rinse and clean off resist.

If you want both etch and color, do not remove resist, prior to
anodizing, etch and then anodise, then etch and reanodise to
antoher color.

Neutralize with baking soda and flush down drain.

I personallly have used it to remove surface oxidation. You
lose the shine off the surface of the niobium, but can repolish.
I have not tried to etch but know that it does remove the color
quickly , so I imagine that etching would not be too difficult.

Good luck, Let me know if you try this

Joan