As what we have mentioned at What would cause stainless steel sphere to rust?, stainless steel isn’t always rustless. And this time some practical tips will be given to get rust spot off stainless steel sphere. (Previous posts are recommended: What would cause stainless steel sphere to rust?(Ⅰ) ；What would cause stainless steel sphere to rust?(Ⅱ) )
- Chemical method
Use pickling paste or spraying to passivate the rusted parts to form chromium oxide film to re-obtain the corrosion resistance properties. After pickling, in order to remove all contaminants and acid residues, it is important to rinse properly with fresh water. After that, re-polishing with polishing equipment and sealing with polishing wax. For local rust spots, use 1: 1 gasoline and motor oil mixture to clean the rust spots with a clean cloth.
- Mechanical method
Sand blast cleaning, using shot blasting with glass or ceramic particles, annihilation, brushing and polishing. It is possible to mechanically wipe off contamination from previously removed materials, polishing materials, or annihilation materials. All kinds of pollution, especially foreign iron particles, can be a source of corrosion, especially in humid environments. Therefore, mechanical method should preferably be used under dry conditions. The mechanical method can only be used to clean the surface, and the material’s corrosion resistance cannot be changed. Therefore, it is recommended to re-polish with polishing equipment after mechanical cleaning and close with polishing wax.