fräta

Fräta is a Swedish verb meaning to erode, corrode, or gradually dissolve and wear away material through chemical action. The related noun frätning denotes the process itself, such as chemical dissolution of metal, stone, glass, or minerals. The term is commonly used in chemistry, materials science, and related technical fields.

In practice, frätning is achieved by exposing surfaces to acids or bases, or other reactive environments, to remove material or reveal underlying structures. It is widely employed in metallography to reveal grain boundaries, in archaeology and art to create or study patterns, and in geology or geology-related industries to understand mineral dissolution. The results can produce microstructural details, surface textures, or decorative effects, depending on the solution, concentration, temperature, and exposure time.

Fräta differs from fräsa, a more common Swedish verb meaning to mill or cut away material mechanically with a milling tool. While both processes remove material, frätning is chemical or electrochemical in nature, whereas fräsa is purely mechanical.

The phrasing fräta bort a layer or fräta igenom emphasizes progressive removal of material to a certain depth or through a particular layer. In Swedish usage, fräta tends to appear in technical or scientific contexts; in everyday language, people more often describe chemical dissolution rather than using the verb fräta itself.

See also frätning, etching, corrosion, metallography.