Summary for alodine without hexavalent chromium Discussion
Alodine without hexavalent chromium is the focus keyphrase here, and Carol Stirling asks whether non-hexavalent MIL-DTL-5541F conversion coatings must be colorless or may also appear pale gold on aerospace electronic housings. She notes that her company has historically received non-hexavalent Alodine parts with no color, but a supplier is now claiming pale gold is acceptable and she cannot find clear wording in the specification to support that. The thread excerpt provided contains only Carol’s question, so no answerer’s guidance or consensus is shown here. Based on the question alone, the issue is that MIL-DTL-5541F does not clearly distinguish appearance by chemistry, and the practical need is for documentation or authoritative clarification from the spec or supplier rather than assumption.
Q. Good Morning All,
I work as a Quality Specialist with a company that makes aerospace electronic components, like steering control units. The Alodine process is sub-contracted by the Supplier that machines our housings. It was very difficult to find a knowledge base that can assist us. Google is wonderful! I do appreciate all your inputs.
MIL-DTL-5541F does not clearly define the appearance between compositions that contain hexavalent chromium and those that do not.
Historically we have received non hexavalent Alodine housings with no color. Now a Supplier is trying to tell us that a pale gold color is also acceptable, but we can not find concrete information to back up this statement.
Can anyone assist me please?
Carol Stirling
Supplier Quality – Peterborough, Ontario Canada
February 14, 2012