Steel - Different colors

#1

Hi!

Well, I’m sorry if I don’t saw or overread it somewhere, but, I don’t really get it with the different colors of steel products. Unpolished and polished is clear, gold-plated is clear too, plated with gold, but how do e.g. the black finish is done?
Is the color done by the polishing process itself ( “allready colored in print process steel”?) or is it a coating?
And, anyway, is the color finish resistant? Or equal to gold-plated finish? If yes, which color is the most resistant?
Sorry, probably I have a wrong understanding of this colored steel thing =)
Thanks for your answers in advance!

Best regards!
Björn

#2

Hello Björn,

Steel is polished by tumbling your model with corn polishing media to smooth out the surface. During the process, unreachable spots like tiny holes will stay unpolished and remain darker than the polished surfaces.
Please note that polishing media may get stuck inside small holes, sharp corners or some engraved details. Tips and tricks to avoid these issues can be found in our design guides( https://i.materialise.com/en/3d-printing-materials/steel/design-guide)

More information about Colors and finishes you can find on our web site:
https://i.materialise.com/en/3d-printing-materials/steel/colors-finishes

Best regards,
Anna

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#3

Hi Anna!
Thanks for the answer!
I allready read everything on the page, but I found no answer.
What the difference between polished and unpolished is and what gold-plated is, that I know, but, how does the steel gets his different colors?
So, “gold-plated” is done by electroplating, so gold partticles are “glued” on the “natural” steel.
Right?
Let’s take what you call “natural, polish” and “black, polish”.
So, the “natural, polish” is the steel material how it comes out of the oven and is polished in the next step.
Right?
But, what about the “black, polish”?
How do the steel gets black?
Is the black color done by the mixture of the materials while the production process?
Or is the color a paint/coating/other process based on the “natural” steel?
Thanks again!
Björn

#4

Hi Bjorn,

Let me try to answer :

  • it is electroplating, yes.
  • all steel comes out of the printing process in the same way.
    The postprocess treatment is different.
    Colors can be applied by playing with temperature and applying chemicals for some of the finishes
    Polishing is applied in a next step.

Regards,
Wim

1 Like
#5

Hi Wim!
Thanks for the answer, that was what I was looking for!
So, apart from gold-plating; what is electroplating, the colors are “generated” by applying different chemicals and different heat-treatment, so not really plating, but changing the nature of the material, for e.g. oxidation or etching, to put it simple? Right?
Please let me ask a last question about it, what about the durability?
I’m asking specifically for the black finish. If I’m gettin it right, the black finish is a “different” steel after treatment, so the material is blackened definitely and will not wear of like e.g. gold-plated?
Thanks again!
Best regards!
Björn

#6

Hi,
yes, the non-gold colors are not by plating and should not wear off like gold-plating.
But on the question is how deep ‘patina’ goes, I do not have experience .
The color persistance depends on what you do with the model.
Will you leave it on the shelf, wear it or put in constant contact with other moving parts e.g. .

1 Like
#7

Hi Wim!
Ok, I got it =)
Thank you very much for all your answers!
Now I much better can take a decision what to order from the shop!
Best regards!
Björn