Alumilite 205 finish - 204? 215-R1? 225 Hardcoat? 226?

Alumilite 225 Hardcoat

Q. I've come across some old specifications that call for "Alumilite 225 Hardcoat". I've been able to determine that this is an old Alcoa anodizing specification but I cannot find any specifics on the properties or a current specification or call-out. Is there anywhere that I can get a hold of the old Alcoa specifications so that I can update my old prints to the newest specifications without actually changing the properties of the parts.

David R. Greene
fluid regulators - Painesville, Ohio
2000

A. I've more plenty of info on 225 at work, I'll pass on what I can manage to type up Monday for you. I'm not going to speculate what the makeup is but I know I have a book titled something along the lines of "The Alcoa Anodizing processes" its around 50+ years old, but its the info you want for sure, straight from the source

Matthew Stiltner
plating company - Toledo, Ohio

A. Alumilite 225 is processed in a sulfuric/oxalic acid bath to a thickness of .001". MIL-A-8625 / MIL-PRF-8625 [on DLA]F Type III is almost universally accepted as a replacement specification for these old hardcoating processes. The MIL-Spec does not require a certain process but rather sets minimum performance criteria for hardcoatings.

Chris Jurey, Past-President IHAA
Luke Engineering & Mfg. Co. Inc.

Wadsworth, Ohio

Alumilite 205 Finish

Q. Dear Anyone,

I am in the metal finishing business and have a request from a customer for the following: I need Alumilite 205 finish and no-ox-id lubrication on 2024T4 hex bolts. I would like to do this process but I do not know what it is. Please help me.

Regards,

Cynthia Piazza
- Los Angeles, California
2001

Q. I am pricing a contract and it calls out a clear anodize finish. It should be "Alumilite 204" with a minimum coating thickness of .0004-inch and a minimum coating weight of 21 mg/square inch. My question is, would this be the same finish as a Aluminum Association "AA-M32-A31" that has a minimum coating thickness of .0004-inch and a minimum coating weight 21 mg/sq.inch. I await somebody's reply.

Gerard McCardle
- Summerside, P.E.I., Canada
2003

A. Yes they are the same - go to https://www.anodizing.org/~~designation___ordering.html~~ for comparisons.

Robert D Lilley
- Singapore

Ed. note: That particular page went 404 on us, but the overall site is still there.

Alumilite Specification 215-R1

Q. I am part of revising our current standards for street name signs. Currently our specifications call for a "green anodization conforming to alumilite specification #215-R1." Our aluminum extrusions are no longer green anodized and I need to know the details of this process to know if it still pertains to what we have. Believe it or not, our supplier has no information on this. What is alumilite specification #215-R1, what is it used for, and where can I find it?

Jeremy Johnson
engineering - San Bernardino, California, USA
2004

A. A GOOGLE search on ALUMILITE 215 will supply the details.

Tom Gallant
- Long Beach, California, USA

⇩ Related postings, oldest first ⇩

Q. I have a customer looking for hardcoat anodize per Alcoa Alumilite 226. I cannot find anything on search engines or in the Metal Finishing Guidebook. Has anyone heard of it?

Jennifer Masse
Plating shop employee - Buffalo, New York
2007

A. The Aluminum Anodizers Council has some info on the ALCOA NOMENCLATURE SYSTEM:
~~http://www.anodizing.org/html/bulletin_2.html~~

"Alumilite 225 and 226 finishes are produced at 36 amps per square foot in an electrolyte of 12-percent sulfuric acid and one-percent oxalic acid at a temperature of 50 °F. These finishes are not sealed unless they are dyed."

Anodizing for 40 minutes gives a coating thickness of 2 mils for Alumilite 226.

Ken Vlach [deceased]
- Goleta, California

Finishing.com honored Ken for his countless carefully researched responses. He passed away May 14, 2015.
Rest in peace, Ken. Thank you for your hard work which the finishing world, and we at finishing.com, continue to benefit from.

Ed. note: April 2021: The page that Ken referred to has been moved to:
https://www.anodizing.org/page/alcoa-nomenclature-system

What is the Alcoa Alumilite 226 process?

Q. Where can I obtain a list of the QPL processors for Alumilite 226?

Susan Gailey
- San Antonio, Texas
April 12, 2021

What is Alcoa Alumilite Black 326R1?

Q. Hi, have a client in Mexico; he asked me for black finish anodizing Alcoa 326R1.

At www.anodizing.org/page/alcoa-nomenclature-system can see that R1 is caustic etch, but need to know what coating designation code 326 is. Somebody know it?

Marco Lopez
- Guadalajara, Jalisco, MX
February 29, 2024

A. Hi. Google didn't find it for me, which makes me wary that there might be a typo. When neither the buyer nor the provider know what is wanted, beyond "326R1" and black, sounds like a recipe for an unsuccessful project ... but hopefully someone will know exactly what 326R1 means.

Good Luck, & Regards,

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

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