Summary for stripping anodized aluminum Discussion
Stripping anodized aluminum coating from copper tubing is probably the wrong assumption, according to the reply. Rob Andrews asked how to remove a thick dull-silver layer he believed was anodized aluminum from copper tubing. The answerer said, sight unseen, it was "20 to 1" that the layer is not anodized aluminum, because aluminum is very difficult to plate onto anything. They suggested the coating may instead be zinc or silver, but emphasized that guessing is not very useful. The practical advice was to explain what the tubing is, where it came from, and why it needs to be taken back to bare copper so someone can offer a more accurate removal method. In short, the thread focuses less on stripping and more on identifying the actual metal finish before choosing a process.
April 28, 2015
Q. How would I remove a thick coating of anodized aluminium from copper tubing? I think it is aluminum (dull silvery colour)
Rob Andrews
amateur – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
A. Hi Rob. Sight unseen I’ll bet 20 to 1 that it’s not a coating of anodized aluminum because it is very difficult to plate aluminum onto anything. Please explain what this tubing is, where the item came from, and why you want to get it down to bare copper and maybe someone can help. I’d bet on it being zinc or silver, but wild guesses don’t really help :-)
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
April 2015