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Coloring steel or aluminum

What colors can be given to aluminum or steel parts by immersion in a conversion bath (i.e. blackening, bluing, browning.....) ? What are the possibilities? And what are the solutions if you know any ?

veronica dewis
- miami, Florida USA
2000

Naturally, any answer is going to depend on what other characteristics you require, like corrosion resistance, and the details of the substrate, Veronica.

But in general terms, with proprietary conversion coatings you can rather easily obtain pastel colors in any shade on aluminum. Steel is probably limited to blue, black, and brown; the Metal Finishing Guidebook has a chapter on Coloring of Metals. Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2000

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