Chemical Etching Formula
L605 Co-Cr-W Alloy 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 L605 Co-Cr-W Alloy?

Ferric-chloride-based formulas are the industrial workhorse for ferrous, nickel, and copper-bearing alloys like L605 Co-Cr-W Alloy. The Fe³⁺ ion oxidizes the metal surface; where HCl is present it regenerates dissolved species and stabilizes chloride concentration. The result on L605 Co-Cr-W Alloy is anisotropic etching with predictable undercut and an easily regenerated spent bath.

Process Window & Bath Control

Bath control for L605 Co-Cr-W Alloy in FeCl₃+HCl: temperature 58°C, concentration 48 °Bé, specific gravity 1.450. The recipe is tuned for through etch (double-sided). Conveyor speed is the primary throughput control, ranging 0.12-0.55 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

Design rules for this recipe: hole diameter 120-360 μm, line width 100-300 μm, single-side undercut 21-64 μm — all as a function of thickness across 0.1-0.3 mm. The higher the etch factor (this formula holds about 2.35), the tighter the achievable tolerance. Below the minimum feature sizes, yield falls off steeply, so treat those numbers as hard floors rather than targets.

Yield & Production Economics

Typical mass-production yield for L605 Co-Cr-W Alloy in the FeCl₃+HCl system is 94.2%, within an observed range of 93.9-94.5%. The dominant yield-loss modes are photoresist pinhole defects and rinse-water contamination. Improving incoming sheet quality and photoresist coating consistency gives the highest yield-improvement leverage for this formula.

Typical Applications

Typical applications for L605 Co-Cr-W Alloy processed with FeCl₃+HCl include wear-resistant blades, springs, and high-temperature precision parts. The formula's tolerance band and yield make it well suited to medium-to-high-volume precision flat parts.

Process Equipment & Material Reference

This L605 Co-Cr-W Alloy formula is part of the standard process library running on our precision acid cleaning machine. The same chemistry can be ported to any horizontal spray-etching line of comparable nozzle layout and bath-titration discipline.

Related to this formula, the Cobalt chemical etching guide page documents the full process envelope for the same alloy family, including pre-treatment chemistry and post-etch inspection criteria.

Production Use Cases for This Formula

Across the markets we serve, the FeCl₃+HCl formula on this page is most often deployed for automotive horn mesh etching, mobile-phone earpiece mesh, and stainless steel metal filter mesh. These applications share thin-feature geometries that benefit from the predictable etch factor near 2.35 and the low single-side undercut documented above.

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 Cobalt Alloys Formulas

Other formulas in the same material family.

Frequently Asked Questions