The electric vehicle industry depends on the reliability, safety and performance of its batteries. For some companies, that means turning to an electrochemical process that improves the fit, finish, and function of critical metal parts like battery components.
Electropolishing, sometimes described as “reverse electroplating,” is a chemical process that uses an electrolyte chemical bath and an electrical current to safely strip away a microscopically precise layer of surface material. In the process, a variety of common but potentially catastrophic metal surface defects are eliminated, including microburrs, microcracks and contamination.
While it is sometimes compared to passivation and leaves parts in a passivated state, electropolishing is a distinct process that can eliminate the need for additional finishing processes like deburring, tumbling, pickling and cleaning.
Improved Performance, Durability & Safety
It’s a process that plays an important role in ensuring aluminum and copper parts used in electric vehicle battery manufacturing have a high-quality surface finish free of defects that can affect performance, durability, and safety.
Electropolishing also offers EV battery manufacturers several additional benefits, including improved conductivity and a smooth finish that enhances surface adhesion in preparation for plating processes.
EV battery parts use an array of copper and aluminum alloys that can be electropolished. Some examples include:
Copper
- C101 Copper
- C110 Copper
- Beryllium Copper
- Copper-Nickel
- Aluminum Bronze
Aluminum
- 1100
- 3003
- 5052
- 6061
- 7075
The Benefits of Electropolishing
Electropolishing leaves metal parts with a surface roughness improvement of up to 50%, along with an ultrasmooth and defect-free finish without the cracks, burrs and other anomalies the machining process can leave behind.
The result is aluminum and copper parts used in EV battery fittings, connectors and electrical components that have improved conductivity and other surface improvements.
How Electropolishing Specialists Ensure the Highest-Quality Results
Some electropolishing specialists also use robotic automation to ensure the most consistent, repeatable results.
The most sophisticated electropolishing providers offer capabilities that go beyond the electropolishing process, including in-house testing and analysis to identify surface and structural features and defects.
This can include a scanning electron microscope and laser-powered three-dimensional surface profiling for detailed measurements and process specifications.
Other Automotive Applications
Electric vehicle battery manufacturers are not the only automotive industry manufacturers who turn to electropolishing to ensure a high-quality finish for their metal parts.
Makers of metal components used in automotive interiors and exteriors also rely on electropolishing for its ability to reduce the threat of burrs, metal shavings and embedded contaminants that can affect vehicle performance.
Auto makers also use electropolishing to remove weld discoloration and to enhance the corrosion resistance of their metal parts. Salt spray and humidity tests show that electropolished metal parts have significantly enhanced corrosion resistance, giving automotive parts a greater ability to withstand moisture and corrosive elements like road salt.
The uniformly bright and chrome-like appearance of electropolished parts, especially stainless steel, is also prized by auto industry manufacturers.
