Everything You Need to Know About Anodizing Aluminum

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• Aluminium Anodizing Titanium Anodizing Indaco
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Everything You Need to Know About Anodizing
Aluminum

• when youre in need of metal prototypes or parts
  with superior mechanical properties and
  specialized aesthetic design, anodizing aluminum
  is an excellent option. The anodizing process
  forms a layer of oxide on a metal part,
  effectively increasing corrosion resistance, and
  also enhancing visual qualities and keeping the
  surface from being scratched.

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• Anodizing aluminum is an extremely durable
  post-processing method. Not only does it enhance
  the properties and appearance of a part, it
  enables better adhesion for paint primers and
  glues. This technique utilizes anodic films that
  provide unique aesthetic effects, such as
  transparent coatings that reflect light or thick
  coatings that can absorb dies.     

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• Despite having an impact on the mechanical
  capabilities of metal parts, anodizing aluminum
  will not take away from the natural appearance of
  the material. While the anodizing process can
  also be applied to other metals -such as
  titanium, zinc and magnesium- aluminum is by far
  the most widely used of the bunch.

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• As a part of 3ERPs extensive offering for
  premium surface finishes, you can utilize our
  anodizing aluminum service to enhance the
  functionality and look of your metal parts and
  prototypes. To help you make the right decision
  for post-processing, heres everything you need
  to know about anodizing aluminum. 

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How the Process of Anodizing Aluminum Works

• In order to properly anodize aluminum parts, the
  surface must first be cleaned and rinsed before
  getting placed into a bath of an electrolytic
  solution, primarily either sulfuric or chromic
  acid. This provides a electrically conductive
  coating that contains a number of positive and
  negative ions.  

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• So how does this process really work? Well, once
  the anodizing process is underway, a positive
  electric charge is sent through the aluminum,
  while a negative charge is applied to plates in
  the electrolyte. Basically, the electric current
  forces the positive ions to attract to the
  negatively charged plates while the negative ions
  are attracted to the aluminum part, which the
  positive anode.

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• From  here, the electrochemical reaction forces
  pores to open up on the surface of the aluminum
  so that the positive ions can escape. In a
  uniformly geometric pattern, these pores dig down
  into the substrate of the part. The combination
  of the aluminum surface and negatively charged
  ions create a barrier layer, which is known in
  the anodizing aluminum process as the surface
  layer the makes parts resistant to corrosion.
• There are currently four different variations of
  the anodizing aluminum process, each of which
  offers distinct advantages over the other

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• Anodized Type I This is the most basic type,
  using chromic acid to produce a thin and ductile
  anodized layer on an aluminum part.
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• Anodized Type II Instead of using chromic acid,
  Type II utilizes sulfuric acid in order produce a
  thicker anodized layer on a part, making it more
  suitable for coloration.

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• Anodized Type III Similarly to Type II, this
  method also uses sulfuric acid, but produces a
  thicker anodized layer that is also suitable for
  coloration. Its also commonly known as hard
  anodizing.
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• Chemical Film / Alodine This method entails
  coating part with alodine to produce results that
  are comparable to anodization.
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• While chromic acid was widely used by
  manufacturers when the anodizing aluminum process
  was developed in the early 1900s, most parts are
  now anodized with the sulfuric acid (Type II and
  Type III).

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• Anodizing aluminum parts also presents an array
  of options when it comes to adding color. The
  coloration process works by injecting a pigment
  into the empty pores of the part. Once the
  colored pigment reaches the surface, its sealed
  off to preserve the selected color. This creates
  an visual effect that wont fade away and cant
  be scratched off, keeping the appearance of your
  parts in premier shape.