Why it’s different
Aluminum that doesn’t corrode…EVER*
The process of anodizing aluminum has been around for around 100 years. Anodizing of aluminum is the formation of an aluminum oxide coating on the surface of the aluminum. While aluminum forms a natural aluminum oxide coating, it is extremely thin. Anodizing forces a thick aluminum oxide coating that provide the aluminum better corrosion and abrasion resistance, allows for the cosmetic alteration of dyeing, and provide a surface for paint adhesion.
Anodic coatings have diverse applications in many different industries. With the wide use of anodized aluminum, many of the flaws of the process have been show as what seem to be constant factors in the process. These factors are the length of the process and growth factor and over-anodizing past tolerances.
AlOxidize™ is a solution developed to produce a pure Anodic Coating on Aluminum substrates. This Anodic Coating has properties unlike any other method of Anodization in the industry. When the solution is operated properly, the Anodic Coating produced will have no micro-fractures, have a smoother surface, and very limited dimensional change. The micro-fractures are what initiate a corrosion resistance test failure and the smoothness aids in the abrasion resistance testing. The coating is also capable of accepting dye pigments and is optimal for color matching. AlOxidize™ is the new revolution in pure Aluminum Oxide coatings.
*Results may vary: No corrosion has been identified after 5000 hours of salt spray testing.
Speed
The average thickness for an anodic coating is 0.0005 inches and takes on average 50-60 minutes when including cleaning time. AlOxidize™ has been shown to produce anodic coatings on aluminum at rates of 0.0001 inches per minute, which can decrease the total time to as little as 5 minutes.
Precision
AlOxidize™ process is capable of producing an anodic coating with minimal dimensional change. In recent trails anodic coatings of 0.0007 inches was produced with no measurable dimensional change. This will allow the industry to precisely anodize and meet strict tolerances. With coatings thicker than 0.0007 inches the growth that is observed is less than 10% of the total anodic coating thickness.
Protection
AlOxidize™ has been tested and with only 0.0003 inches of anodic coating has lasted 800 hours in a salt spray chamber before showing any signs of pitting. AlOxidize™ has also undergone back-to-back taber abrasion tests with less than half the thickness of a traditional Hardcoat and passed. Under SEM imaging, it was found that the coating is completely absent of micro-fractures in the anodic coating that lead to test failures. The anodic coating weight is roughly twice that of Sulfuric Anodize of the same thickness. With the anodic coating twice as dense, it gives the anodic coating the highest level of corrosion and abrasion protection that Hard Coat Anodizing offers combined into the speed and ease of a Sulfuric Acid Anodizing with no dimension change.
Frequently asked questions
How is the process capable of producing anodic coating at such a high rate?
For someone who is experienced in the field of anodizing, it will first appear that the claims made are impossible and that the claims violate Faraday’s Law. When in actuality the process is much closer to the theoretical values that Faraday’s Law Provide. By adding these active components into the AlOxidize Process, Faraday’s Law becomes more complex and other chemical properties need to be taken accounted for.
How is dimensional growth controlled and minimized?
Due to the porosity or aluminum oxide coatings, there now becomes the factor of apparent density. The apparent density of conventional anodizing is in the order of 50% of the theoretical density of aluminum oxide. AlOxidize has been found to have an apparent density around 85-95% of the theoretical density of aluminum oxide. It has been studied and published that different acid electrolyte mediums form different pore morphologies. The components that have been added to the AlOxidize process were done so to minimize pore formation to a level that has not been achieved in industrial applications before.
With a more dense coating, how is it capable of being cosmetically dyed?
The coating, despite the apparent density, is capable of accepting any commercially available aluminum dye compound.