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Anodizing Your Aluminum
Common Questions About Anodizing
Before accepting your first job, arm yourself with knowledge.
By Zane Robinson
Production Anodizing Corp.
Imagine the excitement of bidding on a major aluminum job. As you read through
the fine print, you find the words, "All items must be anodized." If you've never
anodized a product before, such a requirement may seem a little intimidating.
Questions like, Where do I go?, How do I prepare it?, and How do I specify it? are
bound to come up.
Many designers are specifying anodizing for their projects. At the same time, the
process offers an excellent "extra" that you can offer your customers. By forming
a good working relationship with an anodizing shop, you can get your customers
the quality they want. Certain applications, such as railings for sewage treatment
plants, nearly always require anodizing. However, some fabricators may be
hesitant to use the process because of inexperience. The purpose of this article is
to provide an overview of anodizing and show how it can benefit the ornamental
and miscellaneous metals industry.
What is Anodizing?
Unlike most other finishes, anodizing preserves the natural luster, texture, and
beauty of the metal itself. The anodized coating is hard, durable, will never peel,
and, under normal conditions, will never wear through. By definition, anodizing is
a process for finishing aluminum alloys that employs electrolytic oxidation of the
aluminum surface to produce a protective oxide coating. The anodic coating
consists of hydrated aluminum oxide and is considered resistant to corrosion and
abrasion. Conventional coatings1 are 0.1 to 1.0 mil thick and are essentially
transparent, although they may be colored.
Because anodic coatings are transparent in nature, any alteration or improvement
of the surface to be anodized will carry through the anodizing process. Accordingly,
many anodize process lines are set up with pretreatment operations and the term
"anodizing" has come to include these extra steps.
Anodizing takes place by immersing the work in a series of solutions where
various operations are performed. The solutions are held in open top tanks and
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the work passes through each unit. The work may consist of a continuous coil of
aluminum, in which case it is threaded through the system on rollers. In the
metal fabrication business, the work typically consists of distinct items that are
placed on special racks and carried through the process in batches. Overhead
cranes move the racks from one tank to the next. The work is rinsed thoroughly
after each operation to avoid contamination and interference in the next solution.
A typical process line may include cleaning, pretreating, anodizing, coloring
(optional), and sealing. The following is a brief discussion of each step:
Cleaning is generally accomplished by soaking the work for several minutes in a
water-based solution containing mild acids or alkalies along with dispersants and
detergents. These cleaners remove fabrication oils and buffing compounds.
Pretreatment is used for decorative purposes to improve the appearance of a
surface prior to the anodizing step. The most common pretreatments are etch and
bright dip. Etch is accomplished in a solution of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide).
The etch imparts a satin, matte finish by dissolving aluminum from the surface in
a microscopically irregular pattern. The bright dip process takes place in a bath of
mixed acids that impart a bright, shiny finish by dissolving aluminum from the
surface in a manner that levels the microscopic peaks and valleys. After etch or
bright dip, it is a common practice to dip the metal in an acidic desmut/deoxidizer
solution to remove any residue of alloying agents or oxides.
Anodizing is the step which produces the actual coating. It is accomplished in an
electrolytic cell using sulfuric acid as the electrolyte. The item to be anodized is
made the positive electrode, or anode (hence "anodizing"). When direct current is
passed through, water is decomposed, liberating oxygen at the surface of the
item. The oxygen combines with the aluminum to form the coating a
transparent and microscopically porous layer of aluminum oxide. The coating's
thickness is determined by the electrical current and the length of time it is
applied.
Coloring is an option approached in either of two ways. A process called "integral
color" imparts color to the coating as it is being formed in the anodizing bath,
which has been modified for that purpose. This process produces various bronze
colors. The second approach to coloring imparts color to the coating after it is
formed and takes advantage of the fact that the freshly anodized coating is porous
and therefore capable of absorbing colorants. The two methods for applying the
color after anodizing are the electrolytic "two-step" process and the use of dyes
(sometimes called impregnated color). Items that are not colored during or after
anodizing retain the natural color of the metal.
The micro pores in the freshly anodized coating which allow for coloring must be
closed, or sealed, before the anodized item is placed into service. If left unsealed,
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the coating might absorb unwanted stains later on. Unsealed coatings also have
poor corrosion resistance. Sealing is accomplished by soaking the work in a hot
solution of water and metal salts and/or in hot water alone.
How To Specify Anodizing
Architectural and other structural items usually call for an "Architectural Class I"
or "Architectural Class II" anodized finish. Exterior items need a Class I (minimum
.7 mil thickness) and interior items should have a Class II (minimum .4 mil
thickness) finish. You will also need to tell the anodizer what pretreatment, if any,
you want: etch (satin) or bright (bright dip). Also specify whether you want the
metal left clear or colored. Talk to your anodizer about the various methods of
coloring. He will need a sample of the color you want. If your metal is going to be
welded or otherwise severely heated after anodizing, you may want to specify hot
water seal only. This will help prevent discoloration around the welding sites.
Integral color is available in some anodizing shops. The bronzes produced are
considered stable and suitable for architectural applications. Two-step color also
produces stable bronzes ranging from light champagne to jet black. It, too, is
considered suitable for architectural applications and is a newer technology than
integral color. New developments in two-step allow the production of blues and
greens. Other recent advances using two-step in combination with dyes have led
to a process called over dyeing, which is said to produce some unique colors.
Dyeing anodized coatings is probably the oldest method of coloring and is still
widely used. It is done in much the same way cloth is dyed by soaking in a dye
solution. Dyes for almost any color are available; however, the dyes vary in their
degree of colorfastness. The exact color you want may not be available in a dye
suitable for, say, outdoor exposure to bright sunlight.
While not strictly a dye, ferric ammonium oxylate or similar compound can be
used as a dye and produces a gold color with relatively good stability. This process,
called FAO gold, is widely used for both indoor and outdoor applications.
Common Concerns
In the ornamental metal industry, where projects sometimes include intricate
designs, there is sometimes a concern on whether detail will be lost. You might
lose a little if you are talking about something comparable to the scrollwork on the
receiver of a fancy shotgun. Otherwise, you probably wont have a problem. A
second frequent concern is the maximum size of parts that can be anodized. This
question is understandable, since size limitations may affect how the job is built
and priced. The answer depends on the size and shape of your anodizer's tanks,
which vary from one firm to another. You should have no difficulty finding an
anodizer with a "rack envelope" of 24 feet x 5 feet x 30 inches. Anodizing lines
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with tanks 32 feet long are known to exist.
Once the job is installed, any maintenance should be minimal. Your anodized
finish should be resistant to staining and should clean up readily with mild soap
(or detergent) and water. Most common organic solvents can be used without fear
of damaging the coating; however, avoid the use of acids and alkalies.
Preparing Your Job
Proper handling and care is important if you want to get the consistent results
your customer desires. When ordering materials and fabricating your job, please
keep the following in mind:
Whether it is to be anodized or not, all aluminum should be stored so as to
prevent metal-to-metal contact when moisture is present. "Water etch" will result
from such contact. While minor water etch can sometimes be removed by the
anodizer, severe water etch will ruin your metal.
Choose the right alloy. Some alloys and tempers respond better than others to
pretreatment and anodizing. Variations in temper, composition, etc., can lead to
differences in color after anodizing. Consult your anodizer or metal supplier.
Always use the same alloy and temper throughout any one job.
Perform all fabrication work (cutting, welding, bending, grinding, buffing, etc.)
before anodizing. You will not want to disturb the anodized coating on a
fabrication. The one exception to this rule may be the drilling and tapping of holes
or other operations where exact dimensions are critical. Expect to lose a little
metal from all surfaces during anodizing.
When performing welding operations, use the lowest heat consistent with good
practice. Heat from welding can disturb the metallurgy on nearby metal and lead
to localized discoloration after anodizing. Also, be sure to use the proper alloy
welding wire, otherwise your weld will be charcoal gray or black after anodizing.
Your welding supplier can recommend the right wire.
On handrails and other fabricated items, you may need to drill drain holes in
strategic locations so that liquids that find their way into hollows and cavities can
drain. Entrapped corrosives can wreak havoc when they seep out later onto the
finished surface. Welded joints cannot be relied on to prevent solution passing.
Confirm the location, size, and number of drain holes with your anodizer before
drilling because the location of the holes will depend on how he racks your parts
for processing.
Make sure all parts are tight in the fabricated assembly. Remember that
anodizing is electrolytic in nature and therefore requires electrical contact. You can
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expect little or no anodizing or color on loose parts.
Avoid using paints, varnishes, and the like on surfaces to be anodized. Avoid
applying adhesive tapes they often leave glue residues. Your anodizer probably
uses water-based cleaners that are effective on fabrication oils and buffing
compounds but not on materials that require solvents.
Avoid unnecessary delay in getting your job to the anodizer. Remember that
aluminum is an active metal and, when unprotected, is subject to damage from
fumes, mists, and even oily fingerprints. The longer it sits out the more
pronounced such damage will be.
The good news is that anodizing will clean up your metal some, but don't expect
miracles. An "etch" pretreatment will moderate and even remove much surface
"noise," such as small nicks, scratches, and die lines.
Insuring Quality
Once you receive a job back from an anodizer, you will probably wonder if it has
been properly anodized. A quality anodic coating will possess at least three
important characteristics that cannot be discerned by casual observation: proper
thickness, a good seal and adequate density (weight of coating per unit area).
Instruments are available for measuring anodic thickness. One will cost you a few
hundred dollars but it would probably be a good investment if you anodize
regularly. You will find them advertised in any of the metal finishing trade journals
such as Plating and Surface Finishing or Products Finishing.
If you dont have a thickness measuring device, you can verify the presence of an
anodic coating by using electrical continuity. File or grind the anodizing from a
small spot. Place both probes of a volt-Ohm meter (VOM) on the spot, but not
touching each other. The meter should show electrical contact. Now, while holding
one probe in place on the spot, move the other probe around over the anodized
surface. The meter should show NO electrical contact (anodize coating is a
nonconductor).
On colored anodizing, the color itself is evidence that the work is anodized. Bare
aluminum will not absorb colorants. On clear work, suspect a thin coating if you
see a color spectrum (rainbow) in the surface under natural sunlight. Like an oil
slick on a puddle, thin coatings break light up into colors through wave
interference. Class I and Class II coatings should not exhibit this phenomenon.
However, some artificial light will exhibit a rainbow on thicker coatings. Indirect
sunlight is best.
A good seal is very important to long term appearance and corrosion resistance. A
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poor seal will fail in service by exhibiting what anodizers call a "bloom" a pale,
chalky condition that causes the surface to look dirty. It will appear to clean up
when washed but the condition will reappear after the surface dries.
As mentioned above, the anodizer can accomplish a satisfactory seal by using "hot
water only" as a sealing agent, but there are other, more dependable methods.
Superior seals are obtained by using proprietary sealing agents now available. Hot
water only seal should be used if there are compelling reasons.
Your anodizer has several ways to detect/measure sealing quality. The most
commonly used method is the "Modified Dye Stain Test" (ASTM B-136). As the
name implies, it is based on the fact that a properly sealed coating should not
absorb dyes. Another test, the Acid Dissolution Test (ADT) measures the
resistance of the coating to a corrosive agent. This test will give you a numerical
result indicating seal quality. Most authorities agree that the ADT ratings2 should
be no greater than 6.0.
You can detect a very poorly sealed surface yourself by simply feeling it with your
fingers. Make sure your hand (and the metal) is clean and dry, then press your
fingers against the surface. A poorly sealed coating will feel sticky. A well sealed
coating will be smooth and slick. Keep in mind that this test will not determine if a
seal is satisfactory only if it is unsatisfactory.
Another quick and easy seal test is to mark the coated surface with a
"Marks-a-Lot," permanent black, felt tip marker. If the surface is well sealed it
should not absorb the ink. After a minute or two, try removing the mark with a
cloth dampened with acetone (acetone-water nail polish remover will do). If the
mark is not completely removed by the damp cloth the seal is considered
questionable at best.
Coating density is important because it is an indicator of the integrity of the
anodic coating. It can give you some assurance that the anodizer is furnishing a
hard, abrasion resistant coating. Ford Motor Co. requires a coating density of 12
milligrams per square inch on 0.3 mil coatings used on the exterior of its
automobiles.
If you want ADT and/or coating density data specific to your job, be sure to tell
the anodizer ahead of time. These are destructive tests and the anodizer will have
to attach test coupons to the racks carrying your work.
Zane Robinson is president and general manager of Production Anodizing Corp. of
Adel, Ga. For more info, call Mr. Robinson at (912) 896-4531.
1 "Conventional coatings" is used here to mean aluminum anodic coatings produced using 16-18 percent
sulfuric acid at 70 F and with a current density of approximately 12 amps/sq. ft. for 1 hour or less.
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2 "ADT Rating." See ASTM B-680, Paragraph 8.2. Rating = %. Coating dissolved X 2T, where T = coating
thickness in mils.
Reprinted from the Jan/Feb 1995 issue of Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metal
Fabricator, p. 39.
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