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Need non-electrolytic blackening or coloring of aluminum
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Q. We have a customer who is looking for an inexpensive black finish on aluminum. Currently we are producing sulfuric anodize with black dye but the pricing structure doesn't fit their program. Engineering properties are not a great concern although corrosion resistance would be nice. If anyone has had any experience with a black "CHROMATE" of aluminum I would appreciate the help.
Tim Martinplating shop - Springfield, Massachusetts
A. Hi, Tim. In your area, such a process was long advertised by Lea Manufacturing Co., Everett, MA as Decoral ®. Other suppliers may have a similar process, but I don't know any other tradenames. The colors I've seen looked somewhat pastel rather than highly saturated, so I can't be sure how saturated the black color is and whether you'd be happy with it (as you doubtless know, anodizing needs to be quite thick to get a good black color).
Be aware that there is a European company by the name of Decoral that offers a powder coating process with a wood-grain coloring, and this may lead to some confusion.
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey
-A. We also do black anodizing & chromate (clear & yellow). Sandoz aka Clariant, who mfg's most of the worlds anodize dyes also sells dyes for chromate, but most of the ones I have tried, including black, did not work well. I have some experience w/ Decoral - I have seen it in gold, and if the Black is similar, yes, that is a cheaper process than anodize. Good luck.
David A. Kraft
- Long Island City, New York
February 6, 2012
RFQ. I have been trying to locate a source in the US who does the Decoral process. If you or anyone else has any information on shops offering this method of coloring, please let me know. I would greatly appreciate any assistance.
We are looking for a non-electroytic coloring process for aluminum. We are looking for larger volume producers, either offering the DECORAL or another color process to achieve the look of anodized aluminum. Our aluminum is fine flake scrap.
Demir Hamami- Maryland, USA
^- Privately contact this inquirer -^
February 10, 2012
Hi, Demir
"The Surface Treatment and Finishing of Aluminum and Its Alloys" =>
includes a chapter on 'Chemical Conversion Coatings and Pretreatment Films' with a subchapter on 'Colouring Processes' which describes how the Decoral process by Lea Mfg. Co. worked.Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey
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