Letter 30067

Practicing anodizer needs anodizing theory  

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I work for an anodizing company in Austin TX. We have been in business for about 2 1/2 years and I am the lead anodizer there doing custom work in the paintball industry but we also do some work with automotive parts.

I've never been to college for anodizing and have only found basic information on the internet and in some pamphlets. From what I've learned I've just built on with trial and error and have gotten very good. What I want to know is where I can get information either on the internet or in a book about the science of anodizing. Every book I looked up about anodizing has been out of print. What I'm most interested in is what is happening on the molecular scale. Any information you may have would be greatly appreciated.

Kevin M
Anodizing - Austin, TX, United States

Congratulations on your eagerness to learn, Kevin.

You are right about so many books being out of print. Unfortunately, the entire infrastructure of the surface finishing industry is rapidly collapsing, not only in America but throughout the world. There are, however, still some very good sources for the information you seek. You should join the American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society (www.aesf.org), one benefit of which is a subscription to their monthly journal Plating & Surface Finishing, which includes many in-depth articles each year on anodizing. They also offer training courses and home learning modules. Metal Finishing magazine is another monthly which you'll find helpful--and a subscription includes "The Metal Finishing Guidebook and Directory".

The book you are looking for is probably : The Surface Treatment and Finishing of Aluminum and Its Alloys by S. Wernick, R. Pinner, P.G. Sheasby.

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

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