A one-step process for chemical coloring on stainless steel

To solve the problem of color controlling in chemical coloring on stainless steel, a one-step process, combining chemical coloring and electrolytic hardening into single stage by concurrently introducing low cathodic current, was developed. The effects of the cathodic current density were studied, and the surface morphologies, compositions and properties of the colored films were characterized with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These results show that the one-step process not only simplifies coloring process but also is superior in coloring controllability and reproducibility compared with the traditional process. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.