Summary for hardcoat anodizing polished aluminum Discussion
Hardcoat anodizing polished vs. blasted aluminum is the core question here: the poster has 7075 and 6061 aluminum brought to a medium polish and wants to know whether hardcoat anodizing will preserve the appearance or whether blasting is needed. The excerpt does not include a full answer thread, so no definitive process recommendation is given in the source shown. The only named contributor information is the signature line identifying a Nadcap Chemical Processing Auditor and traveling Process Engineer/Chemist from Denver Metal Finishing, Colorado, but no specific advice from that person appears in the excerpt. Based on the visible text alone, the discussion centers on whether the existing polished finish can be anodized without losing its look, especially since oxidation has not been a problem even with heavy handling. Because the answer text is missing, any stronger conclusion would be speculative.
Q. I have searched the forum to the best of my ability and am unable to find a clear answer.
I have 7075 and 6061 aluminum that has been brought to a medium polish. Oxidization has not been an issue, even with heavy handling.
What has been an issue is how prone to deeper scratching it is compared to its hard coated counterparts.
How much luster would remain after a Type III hard coat? I understand that the formation is inherently not reflective, and not for use in things like mirrors.
But if you hard coated two pieces of metal, one polished and one sand blasted – could you tell the difference?
Jay Williams
– Virginia Minnesota USA
June 7, 2020
Nadcap Chemical Processing Auditor – PRI, traveling
Process Engineer / Chemist – Denver Metal Finishing, Colorado