Black Oxide Library

EPI’s Black Oxide Library

Learn everything you need to know about black oxide from EPI. Click on the buttons below and watch the black oxide process in action on YouTube

Black Oxide FAQs:

1) What is Black Oxide?

Black Oxide is a blend of caustic, oxidizers, additives that is used to black oxide ferrous metals. There are two types of metal blackening: hot black oxide and room temperature blackening. Our products are Ultra-Blak for hot black oxide and Insta-Blak for room temperature blackening.

Hot black oxide is a conventional hot (285 F°) process which produces a true black oxide iron magnetite, Fe3O4, finish. It is a premium grade salt mixture which will blacken a wider range of steel alloys than any other process on the market.

Room temperature blackening is the preferred metal blackening process for safe and convenient in-house blackening. It is important to note this is not a true black oxide process; however, it may be referred to as room temperature black oxide. It produces a super deep blackness and corrosion resistance equal to hot oxide blackeners. It is an excellent non-bleed out black finish for powdered metal and cast iron. Room temperature blackening process is an autocatalytic reaction of a black selenium-copper compound that deposits on ferrous parts through an immersion process.

2) What Makes EPI’s Black Oxide and Metal Blackening Processes Better?

EPI’s Insta-Blak process does not produce a smutty rub off like other room temperature products. Ultra-Blak is a premium grade black oxide. They are easy-to-use with a wide window of operation.

3) What Are the Advantages of Black Oxide and Metal Blackening?

Ultra-Blak – Hot Black Oxide
• Produces true black oxide finish Fe3O4 magnetite finish
• Abrasion resistance
• Corrosion protection
• Meets military spec Mil 13924C and AMS 2485
• Blackens faster than other hot black oxides
• Less sludge generation than other hot black oxides, meaning lower gas bills

Insta-Blak – Room Temp/Cold Black Oxide
• Capital costs less $7,000- $15,000 for turnkey operations
• Energy savings
• No CO2 emissions or green house gases
• Process time for blackening 1-5 minutes
• Powder metal does not bleed out white salts like hot black oxide
• Cast Iron and Steel Castings do not turn red
• No ventilation costs
• Provides Corrosion resistance
• Dimensional stability thickness 5-10 millionths of an inch
• Can be painted over
• Anti-galling properties
• Esthetic appeal

More Black Oxide FAQs

Black Oxide Technical Papers:

• Other Technical Papers

Black Oxide Resources:

• Read information about Passivation and Bluing from Wikipedia
• National Association of Surface Finishing
• Read current industry information from a top rated magazine at www.metalfinishing.com
• Do-It-Yourselfers who want to try black oxide at home – order a black oxide kit from one of our partners