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

Etchant Store