Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Will aluminum rust in harsh environments?

Will aluminum rust when used in extream conditions such as a sauna or a swimming pool where chemicals are used. Grade 304 Stainless Steel has already broken down and started to rust.

Karl Burton
Foris Solutions Ltd - Sheffield, UK
2005

Forget aluminum, try stainless steel 316 grade or duplex SS.Solution for ever is titanium.Good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
2005

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Aluminium will "rust" in as much as it will form a metal oxide, but aluminium oxide is white, not brown like iron oxide. In fact aluminium reacts much faster that iron with oxygen to form the oxide, but the aluminium oxide is a much more tenacious coating and once formed, it offers a higher degree of protection to the metal. Saying that, certain substances, such as chlorides, will still attack the aluminium quite severely. One common way of getting a protective coating on aluminium is to anodise it. This is a job for a professional and there are lots listed in "Yellow Pages", normally under "anodisers" or "electroplaters and anodisers" or something similar. Anodising will not totally protect your aluminium for eternity, but it will give you a reasonable life expectancy if done correctly.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2005

You may plate it with Chromium. It works well for Bathroom equipment, if it's done well.

Klaus-Martin Hentrich
- Velbert, NRW, Germany
2005