Chemical Etching Formula
Ni50 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 Ni50 Alloy?

Ferric-chloride-based formulas are the industrial workhorse for ferrous, nickel, and copper-bearing alloys like Ni50 Alloy. The Fe³⁺ ion oxidizes the metal surface; where HCl is present it regenerates dissolved species and stabilizes chloride concentration. The result on Ni50 Alloy is anisotropic etching with predictable undercut and an easily regenerated spent bath.

Process Window & Bath Control

The process window for this FeCl₃+HCl formula centres on 50°C and 44 °Bé. Conveyor speed spans 0.34-2.72 m/min over the 0.05-0.2 mm thickness band; the typical operating point is 0.96 m/min. Every 5°C drop in bath temperature requires roughly a 30% reduction in conveyor speed to hold the same etch depth, so temperature stability is the single biggest lever on consistency.

Design Rules & Tolerances

Feature sizes scale with sheet thickness. For this formula the minimum hole diameter ranges 60-240 μm and the minimum line width ranges 100-200 μm across the 0.05-0.2 mm band, following the industry 1.2× (hole) and 1.0× (line) thickness rules. Single-side undercut ranges 9-36 μm, and the etch factor is about 2.75. Size your photomask by subtracting twice the expected undercut from each finished feature dimension.

Yield & Production Economics

Expect a yield in the 96.4-96.8% range for Ni50 Alloy with FeCl₃+HCl, with 96.7% 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 Ni50 Alloy processed with FeCl₃+HCl include hermetic sealing rings, lead frames matched to glass/ceramic, and magnetic shielding. The formula's tolerance band and yield make it well suited to medium-to-high-volume precision flat parts.

Process Equipment & Material Reference

This Ni50 Alloy 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.

This alloy belongs to a family where the FeCl₃+HCl chemistry is well characterized; the process window we document is reproducible on any properly sized line.

Production Use Cases for This Formula

Across the markets we serve, the FeCl₃+HCl formula on this page is most often deployed for high-speed air-intake mesh for hair dryers, stainless filtration mesh for vacuum cleaners, and tea-infuser custom filter etching. These applications share thin-feature geometries that benefit from the predictable etch factor near 2.75 and the low single-side undercut documented above.

If your part falls into one of these classes — or a closely adjacent one — this formula is usually the right starting point. We confirm fit with a short sample run on the actual sheet stock before locking in mask artwork.

Other Metals Etched with FeCl₃+HCl

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

More Precision Alloys Formulas

Other formulas in the same material family.

Frequently Asked Questions