Letter 26112

Need info about Bright Dipping  

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I am looking for more information on Bright Dipping. My company is trying to match a brushed finish aluminium laminate made by Chem Metal. The maufacturer indicated that the material was bright dipped. So, does the process of bright dipping use phosphoric acid? And if it does, is there any finishing shops on the west coast as I need a very quick turnaround?

Stephen Knecht
artist - Livermore, CA, United States

Your question is just a little bit rambling, Stephern, so you might misinterpret the answers you receive. Whether or not the manufacturer says that the material was bright dipped, that's not what gives it the brushed finish; to the contrary, a bright dip is for brightening (making a finish more specular, not less). Yes, bright dipping usually involves phosphoric acid--but in addition to other ingredients like nitric acid. By "if it does", are you saying that you are only interested in having it done if it uses phosphoric acid? Or were you intending to say that whether it does or doesn't involve phosphoric acid, you are interested in locating a West Coast jobshop to do some bright dipping/brush finishing?

If you clearly tell us what kinds of items you are trying to do in a ChemMetal finish, and what kind of company you are working for so we can appreciate your in-house capability (like whether you want to do the brush finish in house), then better advice can be offered on the next steps. Thanks.

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

Steve,

Several times in the past I have heard Type II anodizing referred to as bright dip. The term bright dip in my opinion refers to a chemical polishing operation that can be real nasty stuff that only a limited number of anodizers do. The finish you describe doesn't sound bright dipped to me. It could be a brushed or etched finish with just type II anodizing on it. If someone else feels I'm wrong or off base with this comment please let me know!

Drew Nosti, CEF Ladson, SC

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