What Is Parkerizing?
Parkerizing is a process of treating a metal to produce a Parkerized finish similar to bluing. The Parkerizing process was developed by Parker Brothers Metal Finishing Company, founding members of the Parker family have been involved in metallurgy for nearly 100 years. Parkerizing was first used during World War II on firearms and other weapons such as flashlights and knives. Parkerizing is also used on home appliances, automobiles, trailers, bicycles, tools and motorcycles today.
Parkerizing provides a better adhesion for protecting the metal from rusting or corroding. The Parkerizing process can be done by hand or with an automated dipping process that yields consistent results every time. It is considered environmentally safe because it’s a conversion process, not an application or paint. Parkerizing leaves no waste water or hazardous chemicals, and is used on steel parts only, it will not work with stainless steel.
Parkerizing Process
Parkerizing usually starts with cleaning the item with warm soapy water or pretreating the surface to remove any contaminants. Then heat the metal for Parkerizing to be more effective. Parkerizing is then applied with a phosphoric acid solution and the metal (e.g., steel) is placed in the Parkerizing Tank. The Parkerizing solution contains sodium or potassium cyanide, bisulfate ions, and iron sulfate heptahydrate. Once Parkerized, the part enters an etching tank, which removes the Parkerizing solution from the surface. Parkerized parts are then oiled to reduce corrosion and/or painted with a compatible coating or color.
These Parkerized surfaces DO NOT attract magnets! If you have Parkerized metal that will be used for any magnetic device, it must be plated first because Parkerizing does not, and cannot, contain any nickel in its solution. Parkerizing causes the surface of the metal to become very smooth and is also a great finish for high wear parts such as receivers or slides. Parkerizing does not affect electrical properties of metals, it only changes the appearance.
If you’re looking for a company to handle your parkerizing projects, contact Advanced Technical Finishing located in Huntsville, Alabama today!