Soils such as cutting oils, coolants, lubricants, and rust inhibitors must be removed from the metal workpiece. Soils can inhibit the blackening process and negatively affect coating adhesion and appearance. Clean the parts prior to beginning the blackening process.

Recommended Cleaning Products:

• E-Kleen 163 is a liquid-based neutral soak cleaner that works at room temperature. It takes 1–3 minutes to reach its full effect.

After cleaning the metal parts, rinse them in cold, overflowing tap water; it’s necessary to rinse the parts to remove residual cleaning solution. However, thicker or heavier parts may chill the blackening solution in step three. In these cases, use a hot-water rinse so that the parts can be preheated. Parts carrying over un-rinsed film of alkaline cleaning solution would quickly contaminate the subsequent chemicals in use, resulting in a spotty or non-adherent black finish. 

Immerse the parts to be blackened for 30–60 seconds.

Apply Insta-Blak S-334 at full strength with a cotton swab, sponge, or brush. Use a generous amount, ensuring the item is smoothly and evenly coated. Allow the chemicals to react for 30 seconds to 3 minutes. The longer the metal part is in contact with the Insta-Blak 333 GEL solution, the deeper the black finish will be. Dilute the Insta-Blak S-334 concentrate 1–2 parts water to slow down the blackening reaction when finishing large areas or prototype parts.

If Insta-Blak S-334 isn't quite what you’re looking for, consider these similar products:

• Insta-Blak 333 GEL is a gel-based solution that result in a no-run, no-drip black finish. It's designed for vertical applications, steel panels, and quick touchups. It's ideal for users who desire a slower chemical reaction.
• Insta-Blak 333 is recommended for touchups on scratched or damaged black oxide finishes. It produces a rich black color and maintains an item's structure and dimensions.

Rinse in cold, overflowing tap water for 30–60 seconds to remove residual blackening solution and ensure sealant will not be contaminated.

Seal the black-oxide finish by immersing the parts for one minute in a compatible E-Tec water-displacing solution. The E-Tec corrosion inhibitors are formulated to rapidly displace the residual acidic solution from the preceding rinse and produce long-term corrosion protection. As the E-Tec is absorbed, it enhances the depth of black, which may take several hours.

Recommended Sealing Products:

• E-Tec 502 is a thin and slightly oily lubricant and rust/corrosion inhibitor for ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
• E-Tec 505+ is a long-lasting dry, soft-film lubricant and rust/corrosion inhibitor that's specifically formulated for hot black oxide lines.
• E-Tec 520 is used to deposit a corrosion-inhibiting, hard, clear, glossy, and dry finish.