The effect of water content on the electropolishing behavior of Inconel 718 alloy in perchloric–acetic acid mixtures

Abstract The electropolishing behavior of Inconel 718 alloy was studied in perchloric–acetic acid mixtures using a rotating disc electrode. The electropolishing behavior of an Inconel 718 weld, which was prepared with electron beam welding, was also investigated. A leveled but not brightened surface can be achieved when Inconel 718 alloy is potentiostatically polished in the acid mixture with 20 vol.% perchloric acid. Interestingly, a brightening effect could be obtained in this acid mixture by adding 10–50 ml l−1 water or by being at rest at room temperature for several days. When electropolishing in acid mixture with 40 vol.% perchloric acid, leveling and brightening of the Inconel 718 surface can be detected. When electropolished in this acid mixture, the fusion zone of the Inconel 718 weld cannot be leveled together with its nearby base metal. Nevertheless, a good polished surface of the Inconel 718 weld can be achieved with the acid mixture with 20 vol.% perchloric acid by adding 40 ml l−1 of water. Electropolishing was performed in the limiting diffusion current region where the transport of water to the anode seemed to be the rate-determining process.