Kalling 1 etchant has been developed especially for metallography and is widely used in scientific laboratories. It is particularly suitable for the examination of martensitic stainless steels. It is an aqueous alcoholic solution of copper dichloride dihydrate (CAS No.: 10125-13-0).

The chemical reactions between copper dichloride dihydrate and hydrochloric acid provide the coloration of the various phases in the steel. Martensite appears black in the etching pattern, while ferrite is given a colored appearance. Austenite remains unaffected. The etching time ranges from seconds to minutes, depending on the desired depth.

Due to the complex chemical properties of Kalling 1 Etchant, no further additives need to be added, as the product is ready to use. These aspects allow a precise and effective application in the field of metallography, favoring an effective and representative representation of the studied microstructural phases.

In summary, Kalling 1 Etchant is particularly useful for the study of martensitic stainless steels in metallography, where the chemical properties lead to the coloration of different steel phases.