Chemical Etching Formula
TA1 commercially pure titanium with HF(5%)+HNO₃(30%)

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 HF(5%)+HNO₃(30%) for TA1 commercially pure titanium?

For TA1 commercially pure titanium, the HF/HNO₃ blend works where chloride chemistries stall: fluoride dissolves the stable oxide, nitric acid re-oxidizes the metal, and the two cycle to give a steady etch. Concentration and temperature control are critical here because the rate is strongly chemistry-dependent.

Process Window & Bath Control

Bath control for TA1 commercially pure titanium in HF(5%)+HNO₃(30%): temperature 32°C, concentration as specified, specific gravity 1.180. The recipe is tuned for half etch (single-sided). Conveyor speed is the primary throughput control, ranging 10.1 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 15 μm, line width 100 μm, single-side undercut 3 μm — all as a function of thickness across 0.01 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

This formula delivers a typical yield of 95.5% (range 95.5%). At that rate, per-part economics are driven mostly by fixed photomask and setup cost for small batches and by sheet utilisation for large runs. The chemistry itself does not change with quantity, so the same recipe serves prototype and production volumes.

Typical Applications

Typical applications for TA1 commercially pure titanium processed with HF(5%)+HNO₃(30%) include medical implants, surgical instruments, aerospace brackets, and corrosion-resistant filters. The formula's tolerance band and yield make it well suited to medium-to-high-volume precision flat parts.

Process Equipment & Material Reference

Process equipment for the TA1 commercially pure titanium / HF(5%)+HNO₃(30%) combination is built around our wet chemical etching machine platform — closed-loop temperature control, redundant pump headers, and metering for bath replenishment all directly affect the etch factor and yield numbers cited on this page.

The Titanium chemical etching guide reference goes one level above the recipe shown here, surveying the full thickness range, depth options, and common subgrades we run for titanium.

Production Use Cases for This Formula

Parts produced with this TA1 commercially pure titanium + HF(5%)+HNO₃(30%) formula end up in a wide range of finished products. Representative production runs we have completed using this exact recipe family include electronic thin-film component etching, high-precision etched lead frames, and super-hard stainless steel shim etching. Each case shares the same root sensitivity: clean photoresist edges, a tightly held bath SG of 1.180, and a conveyor speed inside the 10.1 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 HF(5%)+HNO₃(30%)

The HF(5%)+HNO₃(30%) chemistry is also documented for these alloys.

More Titanium Alloys Formulas

Other formulas in the same material family.

Frequently Asked Questions