Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Masking for Vapor Phase Aluminizing

I'm having problems masking off certain parts of components in a vapor phase coating process. Is there are substance that could stop the coating reaching masked-off areas?

Phil Crowle
Manufacturing Engineer - Derby, Derbyshire, United Kingdom
2003

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2003

There is a product called non drying black ink which is resistant to acid & alkalies . Apply with a thinner on the required area. Use kevibit (a brown powder) to cover the same area so that the ink and powder stick to each other. Put it in an oven for sometime to see that the same melts and remove it . Let it come back to room temp and the solidified dry product can then be etched anodized coloured sealed with the second colour.

Remove the solidified oven baked product with a thinner(kerosene preferable and cheap).

You could try this and see it should work but it is slightly more time consuming.

Harsh Khatau
anodizing colors ,pre-treatment & post treatment chemicals - Bombay, Mumbai, India

The person responding from India did not know that this process you are describing runs at 1100 degrees C. So his methods may lead to incipient melting of the alloy underneath the maskant he has described. Our company is researching the same problem to come up with our own solution but we do not have any products in the marketplace yet.

Dave Fairbourn
- Sandy, Utah
2003

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Phil,

I have also been attempting to solve this conundrum, so far with varying levels of success using layered slurry techniques would be interested to know whether you have had any further developments since November.

Glyn Maxwell
- Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK
2005

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