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What do black spots on aluminum sculpture tell art student?

May 18, 2022

Q. Dear all,
I'm an art student and my research is about aluminum sculptures made by a Brazilian artist. In some sculptures, the artist used gray aluminum sheets (not sure if anodized) and others were anodized in yellow. I made some EDXRF tests (elemental analysis) and it seems that all-aluminum alloys were from the 1xxx series.

A prevalent situation I found in the aluminum sheets was discussed in the topics on thread 45421: black spots all over the surface (pitting corrosion?). In some cases, they seem not just superficial.

What could cause this situation? This could only happen with anodized aluminum alloys? Is it a "proof" of a bad anodizing process?

61446-1b 61446-1a

Please, any comment will be valuable.
All the best.

João Henrique Ribeiro Barbosa
Student - Belo Horizonte, Brazil

A. Hi João. Nearly all materials, including aluminum, corrode with time. Although I am confident that a study of this corrosion can tell you something, I know little about sculptures, and cannot suggest what it can teach you about the piece or how to approach it. Hopefully another reader will offer some insight.

Luck & Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
May 2022

"Metals and Corrosion: A Handbook for the Conservation professional"
by Lyndsie Selwyn

on Amazon

(affil link)

A. "Metals and corrosion : a handbook for the conservation professional" by Lyndsie Selwyn is book for you. Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh
May 24, 2022

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