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Anodizing from Start to Finish
09-20-02
Anodizing of aluminum provides both aesthetic and functional characteristics to aluminum products. On the most basic level it's a process that creates an artificial aluminum oxide surface with specific characteristics. However, because there's much more than this simple aspect, anodizing and related finishing treatments comprise a field onto its own, and a number of resources to assist those in the area or just needing to know more are available.
The Aluminum Anodizers Council provides one point of entry. The AAC website at www.anodizing.org offers information on the anodizing process via a number of channels. There is a basic "What is Anodizing" description, complemented by a series of Frequently Asked Questions as well as a Reference Guide. The latter provides a concise summary of the types of anodized coatings as well as a summary of the anodizing response of different aluminum alloy families. In addition, this website provides a Web Forum, an interactive resource in which questions are posted and responses offered from the participants. A listing of publications is also available.
Another source for a summary of anodizing is available from the Aluminum Extruders Council. A downloadable brochure is available at http://www.aec.org/assets/pdf/spotlight_anodiz.pdf.
The Aluminum Association provides two valuable publications in this area. The first is the widely referenced Designation System for Aluminum Finishes. Also known as DAF-45, this system was developed by the Technical Committee on Product Standards to allow users to specify finishes, and covers five areas:
- Mechanical finishes
- Chemical finishes
- Anodic coatings
- Electroplated and other metal coatings
- Organic, vitreous, and laminated coatings
Another resource is Care of Aluminum, which addresses cleaning of anodized surfaces as well as other aspects. This document has recently been revised to update the listing of cleaning products and producers. Both of these publications are available from the Aluminum Association online at the Bookstore at www.aluminum.org or by calling (301) 645-0756.
In the reference book category, certainly the most comprehensive tome is The Surface Treatment and Finishing of Aluminum and Its Alloys, published by Finishing Publications and available through ASM International as well as the Aluminum Association. The fifth edition of this book was reviewed previously, and now an expanded sixth edition has been made available. In addition to the 1400 pages in two published volumes, a CD-ROM version is now included. This publication covers a wide range of topics, as the title implies.
A more focused book has just been published with the title Anodizing and Coloring of Aluminum Alloys. Written by Satoshi Kawai and also published jointly by Finishing Publications and ASM International, this book by its title promised to provide a specific emphasis on the anodizing process. As noted in the Preface to the English Edition, the book tends to focus on the anodizing and coloring processes utilized primarily in Japan, which are somewhat different than those used in the United States and Europe. Nevertheless, there is useful and practical information here, probably more relevant to the anodizing and finishing specialist than the casual reader. Strong emphasis is given to the coloring processes, discussion of which constitutes the middle third of the book. A useful section concludes the book that describes functional applications of anodized coatings, and addresses applications involving thermal absorption, magnetic properties, lubricity, and electrical conductivity. These are not intrinsic characteristics of an anodized coating but rather are produced through deposition of selected species into the pores formed by the anodizing process. A bonus that comes along with the book is a CD-ROM containing a photo gallery of color anodized samples and applications as well as a searchable database of over 8000 references in the area of surface finishing of aluminum. This book has just become available in the U.S. through ASM International at www.asminternational.org.
Article courtesy of Secat, Inc. - Research Resource for the Aluminum Industry
www.secat.net
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