Chemical Etching Formula
Al8011 with FeCl₃+HCl

Formula Summary

The table below summarizes every parameter that defines this etching formula. Values listed as ranges scale with sheet thickness across the supported band.

Why FeCl₃+HCl for Al8011?

Ferric-chloride-based formulas are the industrial workhorse for ferrous, nickel, and copper-bearing alloys like Al8011. The Fe³⁺ ion oxidizes the metal surface; where HCl is present it regenerates dissolved species and stabilizes chloride concentration. The result on Al8011 is anisotropic etching with predictable undercut and an easily regenerated spent bath.

Process Window & Bath Control

Bath control for Al8011 in FeCl₃+HCl: temperature 38°C, concentration 30 °Bé, specific gravity 1.250. The recipe is tuned for through etch (double-sided). Conveyor speed is the primary throughput control, ranging 0.12-2.9 m/min across the supported thickness range. Check specific gravity each shift with a calibrated hydrometer and correct with fresh make-up or water as needed.

Design Rules & Tolerances

Feature sizes scale with sheet thickness. For this formula the minimum hole diameter ranges 60-600 μm and the minimum line width ranges 100-500 μm across the 0.05-0.5 mm band, following the industry 1.2× (hole) and 1.0× (line) thickness rules. Single-side undercut ranges 10-96 μm, and the etch factor is about 2.60. Size your photomask by subtracting twice the expected undercut from each finished feature dimension.

Yield & Production Economics

Expect a yield in the 96.8-97.9% range for Al8011 with FeCl₃+HCl, with 97.5% typical on a well-controlled line. Most rejects trace back to upstream coating and exposure rather than to the etch bath itself, so tightening photolithography control is usually the fastest path to a higher number.

Typical Applications

Typical applications for Al8011 processed with FeCl₃+HCl include lightweight RF shields, heat-spreader masks, nameplates, decorative trim, and lightweight structural lattices. The formula's tolerance band and yield make it well suited to medium-to-high-volume precision flat parts.

Process Equipment & Material Reference

This Al8011 formula is part of the standard process library running on our wet chemical etching machine. The same chemistry can be ported to any horizontal spray-etching line of comparable nozzle layout and bath-titration discipline.

For a broader treatment of the material itself — alloy variants, surface preparation, and process limits across thickness ranges — see our Aluminum chemical etching guide. That overview complements the formula-specific bath and conveyor data on this page.

Production Use Cases for This Formula

Parts produced with this Al8011 + FeCl₃+HCl formula end up in a wide range of finished products. Representative production runs we have completed using this exact recipe family include stainless filtration mesh for vacuum cleaners, ultrasonic mesh for robotic vacuum cleaners, and stainless steel metal filter mesh. Each case shares the same root sensitivity: clean photoresist edges, a tightly held bath SG of 1.250, and a conveyor speed inside the 0.12-2.9 m/min envelope.

Designs that sit slightly outside this thickness or feature-size envelope are usually addressable by a sister formula in the same etchant family. The bath chemistry stays the same; the tuning shifts to conveyor speed and resist choice.

Other Metals Etched with FeCl₃+HCl

The FeCl₃+HCl chemistry is also documented for these alloys.

More Aluminum Alloys Formulas

Other formulas in the same material family.

Frequently Asked Questions