Product Description & Working Mechanism

ADD-4-MAG is formulated with a proprietary blend of non-ionic surfactants, organic corrosion inhibitors, and wetting agents specifically designed for magnesium photochemical etching applications. The additive functions through three primary mechanisms:

• ▸ Adsorption Film Formation: Polar groups in the surfactant molecules chemically adsorb onto the magnesium plate surface, forming a protective monomolecular layer. This adsorption film regulates the contact between nitric acid and metal, slowing the etching reaction at shoulder areas while maintaining vertical etching speed.

• ▸ Surface Tension Regulation: The additive reduces the surface tension of the etching bath from ~72 mN/m to ~35 mN/m, enabling the acid solution to uniformly wet the plate surface. This eliminates "pimple" defects caused by trapped air bubbles and ensures consistent etching depth across large-format plates.

• ▸ Undercut Control: By forming a transient hydrophobic barrier along the sidewalls of etched grooves, the additive reduces lateral etching (undercut) by 30–40%. This results in steeper shoulder angles (typically 70–75°) and sharper pattern edges, critical for fine-line hot stamping dies with line widths down to 0.08 mm.

Adjustment Note: For 80L machines, double all quantities proportionally. When etching deeper patterns (>3mm) or using 3.0mm+ thickness plates, reduce additive concentration slightly to 4.5% to prevent over-inhibition of etching speed. Always verify parameters with test plates before production runs.