Where theworld gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989
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Looking for glass coating for aluminum
Q. I am trying to find out whether it is possible to coat a large aluminum tank with glass. I know that this is routinely done for steel tanks, but cannot find any leads for aluminum. Does anyone know if this is possible?
RFQ: And who can do this kind of thing?
Vas PetrenkoUCSD - San Diego, California, USA
2003
Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)
2003
A. Hi Vas. You do mean real glass, not fiberglass (strands of glass in resin)?
To my understanding, aluminum melts at a much lower temperature than glass -- so I would expect it to be a major problem to line an aluminum mold with molten glass.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Q. I am working on an R&D project in which we need to produce a nozzle flow passage with a very smooth interior surface. I have been told a glass coating may do the trick. My nozzle is made of aluminum and has a small bore (2 to 5 mm diameter). Do you know of a process that would allow us to get a thin glass coating applied to the inside surface of the nozzle?
Edward SmallhornDesign engineer - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
November 5, 2010
A. Hi, Edward.
A high-phosphorous electroless nickel plating is amorphous and somewhat glass-like, and is wear resistant, corrosion resistant, and hopefully compatible with your need for smoothness. It can be diamond turned if necessary. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November 5, 2010
A. Depending on what is flowing thru it and at what speed and temperature, you might be able to get by with burnishing the bore.
You might consider oversizing the orifice and using a stainless steel insert. You can get an excellent friction fit by freezing the insert in liquid nitrogen and warming the outside of the aluminum with a heat lamp. Insertion needs to be fairly fast and continuous.
- Navarre, Florida
November 5, 2010
November 8, 2010
A. Look for ceramic or hot vitreous enameling. I have never seen enamel over aluminum, mostly copper, steel, or gold.
Good luck
Khair Shishani
aircraft maintenance - Al Ain, UAE
November 8, 2010
A. The limiting factor with a glass coating is likely to be the mis-match in thermal expansion of glass and Al.
A glass insert or entirely glass nozzle could be a better bet or Ted's idea is worth a try. But unless you know about EN it would be simpler to find a friendly local plating shop.
Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England
December 15, 2013
Q. Hi,
What is the best way of coating the evaporator coil of a dehumidifier in glass (silicon dioxide)? The coil is made of aluminum and copper, and possibly some soldering. It has thin sheets of aluminum that are 2 or 3mm apart, so spraying the surfaces would be impossible. It will be a cheap $200 dehumidifier.
The purpose is to use the dehumidifier water for drinking (after running it through a water filter), and I want to avoid having metals in the water. The coils can freeze in cool weather, in case that matters. The coils will stay wet almost all the time.
Is it possible to powder coat the metals in pure SiO2? Or else, is it possible to coat the metals in another substance (e.g., Silicide or Silane) that can be easily converted to pure SiO2?
Is there a better method than powder coating that would not be super expensive but would still give thorough coverage?
Is there another inert, food-safe coating that would work (such as adding a layer of stainless steel or ceramic or specialty glass onto the coils)? (I prefer to avoid plastics.)
The hope is to spend no more than $100. The idea for this project came from reading about Atmospheric Water Generators, which are essentially dehumidifiers with built-in water filters and that tend to have coils made of stainless steel or coated in plastic.
Thanks!
Geoff
- Los Angeles, California, USA
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