70 – 80 % of all Aluminum is surface treated or Why Anodizing is so important!

Coming from an anodizing expert, this might sound obvious, but there is more to it, than that.

Last May I went to the ET´08 held in Orlando, and to my great surprise, I found that the surface treatment industry was almost non-existent at the expo. How can that be if my above statement is true?

We all know about the natural oxide layer found on the Aluminum surface. It leaves the Aluminum surface protected to some degree but if you really need a well functioning, highly specialized and/or decorative surface you need a coating and anodizing is the most magnificent choice.

The reason for this is that Aluminum itself has a very soft and reactive surface. This will leave it scratchy and patchy if left untreated. The corrosion protection from the natural oxide layer will leave the surface with white/grayish areas not looking that good at all, though still protected to some environments.

The Aluminum, on the other hand, is strong and light, has very good heat and electrical conductivity. It is easy to handle and the third most common element on the earth. And last but not least the most important property is its sustainability.

The very important reasons for anodizing of Aluminum are to enhance the corrosion protection of the surface and to contribute with technical properties, which Aluminum is not already in the position of.

Anodizing can give you the specific properties of the surface that you want. Anodizing will increase the value of the Aluminum part, actually give it a long life, sustainable surface which it didn’t have before the anodizing and therefore was completely useless.

These could be properties such as

· Corrosion resistance
· Decorative
· Electrical properties
· Non-stick surface
· AdhesionWear resistance

If you find this article useful and you would like to know more please contact me blog@aluconsult.com

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