Russamer Lab provides consulting to medical devices specialists on anode methods of finishing of surgical instruments and implants. Such finishing methods have advantages in comparison to etching or mechanical abrasion. For example: mechanical polishing and then etching of implants can leave hidden areas under "smeared" metal that are not completely cleaned from acid etching, and thus can be areas of corrosion inside human body; non-balanced or aged etching electrolyte can cause hydrogen saturation of the metal surface, causing premature damage of the implant. In contrast electropolishing and electro-etching on anode always take place in "passive stage", when hydrogen moves to cathode area, and the implant retains clean, free from contamination and oxides, with better surface strengths.
The standard finishing method for some implants and for surgical instruments is to sandblast the surface in order to remove brightness (can distract laser equipment during operation procedures), and then etch (clean from contaminants). We propose to obtain clean dull surface by simply electropolishing in special regimes.
Dielectric anodizing for titanium or stainless steel, anodizing that forms hydrophobic surface on SS, aluminum, carbon steel or titanium, corundum-like super strong anodizing for titanium or aluminum alloy - these are among our new developed technologies.
Also we are very strong in the field of continuous electropolishing of wire, tape, conveyors, rods, etc., made from nitinol, titanium, nickel, stainless steel of various alloy types.
Stents electropolishing: nitinol (laser-cut or braided from wire), stainless, cobalt-chrome. Our technologies are free from Sulfuric acid, from methanol.
Interesting recent development - mass electropolishing of surgical needles.
Medically acceptable color anodizing of titanium, stainless steel (or certain alloy types); special anodizing of titanium to form highly developed surface with enriched phosphorous and calcium for better ossiointegration; black titanium anodizing, AMS2488 titanium anodizing - these technologies are ready to use, step-by-step instructed.
Russamer Lab operates for more than 20 years with happy customers all over the world. We will send our references upon request.
Titanium electropolishing.
Including titanium from additive manufacturing (3d-print); spool titanium wire, disposable surgical needles made from titanium, etc.
Special electropolishing regimes can create dull surface, thus skipping sandblasting and etching.
Cobalt-Chrome Stents, implants.
The coronary stents are electropolished with the same material removal inside and outside, and along the length of the stent. The leftover oxides are lifted and dissolved, without impacting on polished surface quality. We do not use sulfuric acid. The process is mild 100% fool proof.
Knee and hip Co-Cr implants: standard electropolishing or mechanical grinding does not remove Molybdenum or other carbides . Such "peaks" left on the surface, can cause damage to the counter soft enclosure during continuous friction movements.
SEM image of the CO_CR surface after regular electropolishing.
SEM image after proprietary final touch electropolishing.
Stainless Steel electropolishing in Universal Electrolyte.
Barrel Electropolishing of surgical needles, other small parts.
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Medical instruments, optical frames, etc..
Surgical steel, blades, carbon steel, nickel, copper, aluminum - the Universal Electrolyte does the job eco-friendly, fool-proof.
Interesting new development in medical device manufacturing - embedded ceramic or glass enclosures on the surface of stainless steel. After heat treatment such ss parts require descaling, passivation. However ceramic is etched by strong acids. We invented acid-free electrolytes to do such work without damaging enclosures.
Reel-to Reel electropolishing.
Hastelloy, stainless steel, nitinol, titanium.
Nickel-containing wire MP35N can be spool electropolished too.
Mobile electropolishing for pipes, metal constructions. This is the best way to protect Stainless steel from sea-water potentially corrosive impact in offshore constructions.
Outdoor pipes, other ss installations can be electropolished without dismantlement.
Removing welded areas heat-treatment discoloration and protection of such areas from local corrosion.
Nitinol Electropolishing (methanol free!) for continuous wire, laser-cut stents, wire-braided stents. The results of electropolishing are always excellent, even for the stents of complex design, of long dimensions, or with leftover oxides in-between braided wires.
Electropolished surface of Nitinol braided stents.
Electropolished surface of Nitinol braided stents.
Electropolished nitinol wire-braided stent.
Small table-top of-shelf equipment is enough to electropolish spool nitinol or titanium wire.
How NiTi stent is electropolished.
AMS 2488 Bio-compatible arc anodizing of Titanium, Tantalum.
Spark anodizing of titanium implants for better ossiontegration or formation of high voltage galvanic protection. Initial tests in Falex testing Lab reveal the results that are close to achieving 75000 required cycles on durability.
Variation of the processing with phosphorous and calcium saturation.
Bioactive Calcium Phosphate coating that consists from Brushite and Hydroxyapatite. Such coating is applied electrochemically to support the adhesion and proliferation for dental Ti implants.
There will be no "fur" on the surface. The process is fool-proof, does not require pre-etching.
One of the variations of the anodizing process can create super strong and super durable surface, similar to titanium nitride coating.with possible application - to prevent cavitation effects in titanium blades.
Dielectric properties (to prevent galvanic corrosion)can be achieved on some stainless steel alloy types.
Increased wettability (hydrophilic surface for implants and other metal parts) - stainless steel, titanium, aluminum alloy. Several tests have been performed showing excellent hydrophilic property.
Titanium, Aluminum, stainless steel can be anodized to be dielectric or with highly hydrophilic surface.
Titanium Anodizing in Black.
Anodizing into black.
Grade 2 Ti.
Grade 1-4 Titanium can be dull or bright black.
Black anodizing does not fall off when scratched.
Troubleshooting titanium color anodizing processes.
Surface SEM image of Al corundum anodized surface.
Image of SEM thickness measurement for this ceramic or corundum-like strong Al anodized layer.
Al anodized surface resembles the properties of super-strong material - corundum.
Ceramic-like Aluminum Hard Anodizing.
Stainless Steel Color Anodizing
Anodizing s eco-friendly and bio-compatible.
Color coding can be dull or bright. The best results are obtained on 420, 410, 430, and similar stainless steel alloy types. 304 and 302 alloys produce only 2-3 colors.
We do not recommend coloring springs or wire, because thin wire shape does not produce distinctive colors.
Colored or black surgical instruments survive multiple sterilization cycles in non-acidic cleaning solutions. Fading of the color can serve as indication that surgical instrument require resharpening/recoloring (usually after multiple sterilization cycles).
Anodizing in Oil & Gas industry to prevent galvanic corrosion.
Make your own pickling or passivating gel.
Finishing shops that do lots of descaling, pickling or regular passivation of industrial storage tanks, pharmaceutical equipment, milk and beverage lines, can save on production cost by making their own descaling, cleaning or passivating gels or liquids. The gels are applied on the metal surface by pumping equipment, and then rinsed. There can be "winter gels", "summer gels", "green gels", electrolytes for immersion into the tank - for stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium. One of our customers in Europe, instead of buying gels from commercial supplier, from 2005 started to manufacture such gels not only for its own needs, but also is selling them all over the world (BAMA).
Finishing shops that do lots of descaling, pickling or regular passivation of industrial storage tanks, pharmaceutical equipment, milk and beverage lines, can save on production cost by making their own descaling, cleaning or passivating gels or liquids. The gels are applied on the metal surface by pumping equipment, and then rinsed. There can be "winter gels", "summer gels", "green gels", electrolytes for immersion into the tank - for stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium. One of our customers in Europe, instead of buying gels from commercial supplier, from 2005 started to manufacture such gels not only for its own needs, but also is selling them all over the world (BAMA).