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Blackfast process

Black oxide at room temperature

Room temperature black oxide, also called cold blackening, is a surface treatment that turns steel and cast iron parts black in a series of process baths at around 20 °C. At Phibo this process is called Blackfast.

Blackfast blacking line with plastic tanks and stainless steel frames
  • Surface treatment specialist since 1988
  • Blacking at around 20 °C, instead of above 140 °C
  • The original dimensions of your parts stay unchanged
  • Better corrosion resistance, suitable for indoor use

Two options

Immersion process or blacking paste

Anyone who decides to blacken at room temperature has two options. The difference is how often parts have to go through.

  • 1

    The immersion process, for frequent blacking

    A series of process baths, each one a step in the process. Parts go into the bath by hand, and a semi-automatic or fully automatic line is possible too. The system stays ready to run.

  • 2

    The blacking paste, for occasional blacking

    After thorough degreasing you apply the paste with a brush. That lets you blacken steel and cast iron without investing in a complete installation.

Why room temperature

Four differences with hot blacking

Hot blacking happens above 140 °C, in a boiling bath. The Blackfast process works at around 20 °C, and one minute in the blacking bath is enough. That changes four things.

The original dimensions stay unchanged

No material loss and no build-up, even on fits and threads. Hot blacking can distort your parts.

Safe on the shop floor

Safe chemicals that are simple to use, instead of splashes and fumes from a boiling bath.

Low start-up and running costs

No boiling bath and no complex extraction. Hot blacking requires an expensive installation and high energy costs.

Cast iron turns black, not brown

In hot blacking, cast iron turns brown. At room temperature you get a uniform deep black, with better corrosion resistance for indoor applications.

References

They rely on Phibo for surface treatment

In practice

What room temperature blacking looks like

Process tanks of a blacking line with a loading basket
Process tanks in plastic or stainless steel, each one a step in the blacking cycle.
Applying blacking paste with a brush to a steel surface
The blacking paste goes on the degreased surface with a brush.
Automated line lowering a basket of parts into the tank
A line can also run semi-automatically or fully automatically.

Applications

Who blackens at room temperature

The process suits any precision part in steel or cast iron, turned or milled. Think of gears, bolts and nuts, hydraulic parts and tooling components.

  • Machine building
  • Tool manufacturing
  • Precision engineering
  • Hydraulics
  • Firearms manufacturing
  • Fasteners
  • Gears

Consumables

The fluids that run through your tanks

A blacking line runs on a degreaser, a conditioner, a blacking fluid and a corrosion protector.

From our own warehouse

The process fluids, the blacking paste and the protective equipment are in stock. You order them from the same partner that supplies your line.

  • Degreaser and conditioner
  • Blacking fluid for steel and cast iron
  • Corrosion-protecting, water-displacing oil
  • Blacking paste for manual work

Assistance and service

Maintenance, spare parts and training

You arrange maintenance, repairs and spare parts directly with Phibo. Our own technicians do the work.

Maintenance contract

We schedule the inspection of your blacking line and follow it up. The content is agreed with you.

Repair and spare parts

Spare parts come from our own warehouse. Our technicians carry out the repair.

Training

Your operators learn to set, monitor and adjust the baths, from commissioning onwards.

We call you and go through your application

Send us the material of your parts, their dimensions and the number per day. You will receive a proposal with the blacking line that fits. One partner, from the first conversation to the last spare part.

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