IRON & CARBON STEEL ETCHANTS
Please use the table below to select the correct etchant for your steel.
Type of Steel: | Etchant to Use: |
Carbon steels and mild steels in general | Nital |
Cast irons & tool steels (most) | Nital |
Carburized or heat-treated carbon steels | First Picral then Nital |
Others | See this list |
Microstructures of Steel: | |
Both ferrite grains and carbides | First Picral then Nital |
General alloy segregation, carbide networks and grain-boundary of carbides, Bainite | Picral |
As-quenched martensite, Ferrite grains and ferrite grain boundaries | Nital |
Martensite, tempered | First Picral then Nital |
Pearlite | Nital or Picral |
Prior-austenite grains | Prior-austenite grain boundaries etch |