Electropolishing of Passive Materials in HF-Free Low Viscosity Aqueous Electrolytes

Abstract

A pulse reverse electrochemical surface finishing process for electropolishing passive materials is described. Unlike conventional electrochemical surface finishing processes, the pulse reverse process does not require low conductivity/high viscosity electrolytes and does not require the addition of chemical species to remove the passive film associated with electropolishing of passive and strongly passive materials. This paper focuses on pulse/pulse reverse electropolishing of niobium and Nitinol.

Looking at Patent Law: Opportunity Prospecting by Analysis of Analogous Patent Art

“…With this funding, we demonstrated the feasibility of electropolishing medical stent materials (nickel-titanium) in simple aqueous electrolytes. 20 Subsequently, we worked with a supplier of nickel-titanium wire for stent applications to demonstrate and validate the pulse reverse electropolishing process in an α-scale reel-to-reel electropolishing apparatus consisting of 300 and 5,000 foot wire spools. 21 These activities led to a license of the same two patents licensed to the semiconductor valve manufacturer but for a different "field-of-use" defined as follows: Boston Scientific or "referenced by" citations as of the date the Google Patent database was accessed.…”