Wet etching of AZ31B magnesium alloy with nitric acid

Wet etching is a micromachining process in which a material is immersed in liquid chemicals or etchants to remove unwanted sections from the surface. The process is generally known as cost-effective, reliable and suitable for high-production environments. Magnesium alloys are presenting a strong popularity in recent years since it is one of the lightest engineering alloys. Hence, the micromachining of these materials is becoming an important research area. One of the promising methods is wet etching. In this experimental study, two different concentrations (10 and 20 ml) of a nitric acid solution are used at room temperature. The wet etching characteristics of a selected magnesium alloy is determined by analysing the thickness reduction and surface roughness as well as colour degradation on the machined surfaces.