finishing.com logo ips1
HOME FAQs BOOKS JOBS: Help Wanted Suggestions      you are here: Hotline/Forum => Letter 52011

How to passivate aluminum with acid?

April 27, 2009

I need to passivate bare aluminum for my project. Is there any simple way to do that? Such as immerse the aluminum bar into high concentration acid like sulfuric acid or nitric acid? Please help and thanks a lot!^_^

Jie Li
product designer - Hatfield, PA & U.S.A.
  ^- Privately contact this inquirer -^
April 28, 2009

Hello, Jie. The word "passivate" is a bit troublesome because aluminum cannot be passivated in the same sense as stainless steel; but it can be passivated in the same sense as zinc plating, i.e., with a chromate conversion coating.

Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney Teds signature
Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey


June 2, 2009

Yes, oftentimes one must be specific about what is meant by "passivation".

If the goal is simply to remove any surface contaminant iron that may have been deposited during machining and tooling, stainless steel passivation procedures apply. This can be done quite easily with citric acid. Let us know if we can help.

Ray Kremer
Stellar Solutions, Inc.

McHenry, Illinois


ANSWER or FOLLOW UP POST an unrelated QUESTION HOT Topics

Disclaimer: It is not possible to diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information
presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The
internet is largely anonymous; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations may be deliberately harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories:

Jobshops Capital Equip. & Install'n Chemicals & Consumables Consult'g, Train'g, Software Environmental Compliance Testing Svcs. & Devices Used & Surplus


Home    -    Contact    -    ©1995-2012 finishing.com     -    Privacy    -    Search