METHOD FOR REMOVING ROLLING AFFECTED ZONE OF STAINLESS STEEL MATERIAL

Japanese Patent JP3764719

B2

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for removing a rolling affected zone of a stainless steel material, by which the productivity of a stainless steel separator for a fuel cell can be improved and its manufacturing cost can be reduced. SOLUTION: This method is characterized in that an affected layer 35 formed in a rolling material 26 during rolling a stainless steel material 25 having granular electrically conductive substances 36 is removed by polishing. By this method, the affected layer in the stainless steel material can be removed, and in addition, a tip end exposing operation of the electrically conductive substances can be performed at the same process. Therefore, the number of manufacturing processes can be reduced compared with the conventional method in which the removal of the affected layer and the tip end exposing operation of the electrically conductive substances have been carried out by different processes. Therefore, it is possible to improve, for example, the productivity of a stainless steel separator for a fuel cell using a stainless steel material containing electrically conductive substances and to reduce the manufacturing cost. Further, because the rolling affected zone is removed by a physical process, such as polishing, the cost for waste fluid treatment, etc. which is necessary in the case of a chemical method, becomes unnecessary. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be further reduced.