Kent Stainless offers four main types of finishes for stainless steel:

1. 2B Finish:
   Standard mill finishes and mechanically treated surface finishes of appropriate hot and cold rolled stainless steels are given in EN10088 part 2 in which the designations for surface finishes are given by number, for example, 1 for hot rolled, 2 for cold rolled, and classified by a combination of number and letter as 2B.  This system provides basic information on process route and description, but not on pratical applcation.
   
   Mill finishes, wheter hot or cold rollled, are the basic supply condition for all stainless steel flat products.  They are used universally for standard building components but are also the basis for subsequent finishing processes that alter the surface to meet more demanding architectural requirments.
   
   2B - Cold rolled, heat treated, pickled, skin passed.  This is produced as 2D, but a final light rolling using highly polished rolls gives the surface a smooth, reflective, grey sheen.  This is the most widely used surface finish in use today and forms the basis for most polished and brushed finishes.
   
   
2. Grit180/220 Finish:
   Mechanically Polished and Brushed Finishes
   The number of additional finishing processes can be minimised by selecting, as the starting point, the closest mill finish to the desired end result.  Applied finishes will have a direct bearing on the surface apperance and the enviormental performance of the material and should be carefully chosen. 
   
   Mechanically polished and brushed finishes involves the use of abrasive materials that effectively cut the surface of the steel to some degree.
   
   
3. Bead Blasting Finishes:
   Bead blasting provides uniform, no-directional, low-reflective surfaces that contrast well, visually, with high polished finishes.
   
   
4. Electro-Polishing:
   Electro polishing can be simply described as the reverse of electro plating. In practice the work piece is connected anodically to a D.C power source and immersed in a special electrolyte. Current is applied and flows from the anodic work piece to the cathode removing material at a controlled rate.
   
   During electro polishing metal removal takes place mostly at the peaks of the surface profile producing a smooth, reflective, chemically clean finish.
   
   No mechanical shock or external contamination is applied, so the structure and properties of the material remain unchanged. This ensures the passive layer is free from defects and maximum corrosion resistance can be reached.
   
   As the electro polishing process takes place iron is dissolved which results in an increase of chromium and nickel on the surface. This provides the optimum conditions for the formation of the passive layer. Once the passive layer is formed the corrosion resistance of the steel is at a maximum.
   
   To achieve the required finish, the product design, choice of alloy, method of fabrication and surface treatment must be considered holistically.
   
   The Kent polishing team can advise the customer on fabrication techniques and material choice to ensure the required finish is reached.