---
type: "WebPage"
title: "Validation of passivation treatment on stainless steel in laboratory"
description: "As an industrialist, you wish to validate the surface treatment of your stainless steel products What is passivation treatment? Passivation treatment is a technique used to prevent corrosion of certain metals, such as stainless steel, aluminium and titanium. Passivation is..."
resource: "https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/laboratory-material-testing/validation-passivation-treatment-stainless-steel-laboratory/"
tags: ["EN", "pll_643508e9a1c14", "Anaïs DECAUX"]
timestamp: "2026-01-09T13:14:09Z"
published: "2023-04-19T09:37:50Z"
language: "en"
author: "bwa"
---

# Validation of passivation treatment on stainless steel in laboratory

## As an industrialist, you wish to validate the surface treatment of your stainless steel products

### What is passivation treatment?

Passivation treatment is a technique used to prevent corrosion of certain metals, such as stainless steel, aluminium and titanium. Passivation is a process that removes impurities from the surface of the metal, such as iron particles, oils and greases, that can cause corrosion.

Passivation treatment can be carried out in a number of ways. However, the most common process is to immerse the metal part in a solution of nitric acid or citric acid. This solution dissolves impurities from the metal surface and creates a protective oxide layer that prevents corrosion.

### Why have a passivation treatment validated by a laboratory?

Passivation treatment is often used by the pharmaceutical industry, in medical applications and surgical implants, where corrosion can cause health risks. It is also used in the petrochemical and shipbuilding industries to prevent corrosion of metal equipment and structures exposed to corrosive environments.

## Our solutions: characterise the surface of your materials and measure the effectiveness of your passivation baths

Thanks to its dual competence in chemistry and materials, the FILAB laboratory has the expertise and analytical tools necessary to validate passivation treatments on stainless steel and to analyse the associated treatments.

The FILAB laboratory can provide various services related to the passivation of a material:

## Studying passivation

by [analysis of the surface composition](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/laboratory-surface-characterization.md)

Study of the evolution of the surface over time

Salt spray test to assess the degradation time of the part

[Stainless steel analysis according to ISO 3651-1](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/metallurgical-analysis-laboratory/stainless-steel-analysis-iso-3651-1.md)

[Coating thickness measurement](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/laboratory-surface-characterization/surface-coating-thickness-measurement.md)

[Analysis of surface failures](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-expertise-services/laboratory-analysis-failures.md) (corrosion, breakage, impurities, etc.)

Analyses according to [ASTM A967/967M](https://www.boutique.afnor.org/en-gb/standard/astm-a967-a967m17/standard-specification-for-chemical-passivation-treatments-for-stainless-st/am97741/272258)

## Analysis of surface treatment baths

[Analysis of the chemical composition](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/chemical-analysis-laboratory.md) of baths

Validation of passivation processes

Study of the evolution of bath properties

For this purpose, FILAB has a 5200m² analytical facility composed of state-of-the-art tools such as a Scanning Electron Microscope ([SEM-FEG EDX](https://filab.fr/en/our-technical-resources/laboratory-analysis-sem-scanning-electron-microscopy.md)) for the study of surfaces or several [AES ICPs](https://filab.fr/en/our-technical-resources/laboratory-analysis-icp-icp-ms-icp-aes.md) or [CI](https://filab.fr/en/our-technical-resources/laboratory-ion-chromatography.md) for the analysis of bath composition.