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Metal pre-treatment

I am looking for an Industry Standard for a pretreatment process that will remove machine marks prior to either a Chromate Coating or an Anodize Finish. We are looking for a process that creates a "smooth finish" or a "satin finish" by way of an "acid bath" or "acid etch". Please let me know if there is any such standard.

Samuel G. Ferguson
Equipment Manufacturing - Newark, Delaware, USA
2004

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2004

Your inquiry is worded a bit abstractly instead of actually describing your parts, Mr. Ferguson, so I may be misreading the question. But the chemical etching of aluminum, for a matte finish, is usually done in an alkaline etch bath rather than an acid etch. The bright dipping of aluminum for a reflective finish is usually done in a nasty nitric acid based bath. I'm not aware of any accepted standards for these finishes or processes, although there are certainly standards for the chromating and anodizing processes as a whole.

Please clarify if I have misunderstood your inquiry.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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