Abstract
304 stainless steel plate was colored by hot dip and electrochemical treatment in a solution containing sulphuric and chromic acids. In the process, treatment variables such as operating time and methode were changed. The surface characteristics that changed by the treatment of the samples such as surface composition, oxide film thickness, color, surface roughness and reflectivity were studied. Surface composition was varied as follows. Fe was decreased, but Cr and O were increased. Ni was increased until 20 min, but reveals decreasing tendency as time passed after that. These means the surface film becomes chrome rich oxide phase as the treatment times increase. The thickness of film was about 220 nm at 30 min by dip treatment and it reduced as the treatment times increased. On the other hand, the thickness was about 150 nm at 10 min by electrochemical method and it doesn't increased with time. Surface color changed from metallic white of the base plate to gray, black, red, and green-blue, gradually, as the treating time increased. The reflectivity of colored surface measured by UVVIS-NIR spectrophotometer was reduced from max 38% of basis metal to min 3.5%.