The Surface Treatment and Finishing of Aluminum and its Alloys

Aluminum Anodizing Book Details

The Surface Treatment and Finishing of Aluminum and its Alloys by Wernick, Pinner & Sheasby is one of the major aluminum anodizing book references for serious finishing work. The 6th edition is listed under ISBN 0904477231, published in 2001 by Finishing Publications / ASM. Earlier listings include the 5th edition from 1987 by Wernick, Pinner & Sheasby under ISBN 0904477096, and the 4th edition from 1972 by Wernick & Pinner under ISBN 0852180411. That edition history alone says a great deal about the book’s importance in aluminum finishing.

Ted Mooney describes this work as the most exhaustive treatment of anodizing and other aluminum surface treatments known to him, calling it the bible of anodizing. That is high praise, but the scope supports it. The reviewed material covers the properties of aluminum and its oxide films, corrosion and protection, mechanical preparation, cleaning, bright dipping, electropolishing, etching, conversion coatings, and anodizing for decorative, protective, and architectural uses. Volume 1 alone is described as 661 pages and includes more than 300 references.

A strong aluminum anodizing book needs to cover much more than the anodizing tank. Aluminum finishing begins with the alloy, temper, surface condition, fabrication history, and mechanical preparation. Cleaning, deoxidizing, etching, desmutting, bright dipping, and conversion coating choices can all affect the final result. Anodizing then adds its own variables: electrolyte type, current density, voltage behavior, temperature, dissolved aluminum, agitation, alloy response, coating thickness, pore structure, and sealing.

The second volume broadens the value of the reference even further. It is described as 612 pages covering hard anodizing, dyeing, sealing, properties and testing of anodized aluminum, four chapters on plating on aluminum, and extensive coverage of organic finishing and vitreous enameling. That matters because real aluminum finishing often requires comparison among several surface systems. A part may need decorative color, abrasion resistance, corrosion protection, paint adhesion, electrical insulation, bonding performance, or compatibility with plating. The best finish depends on the service requirement, not just the name of a process.

This book is especially useful because aluminum is not a simple substrate. Its natural oxide, alloying elements, heat treatment, silicon content, copper content, and prior processing can all change how it responds to finishing. A procedure that works beautifully on one aluminum alloy may be troublesome on another. Hard anodizing, architectural anodizing, bright finishing, chromate conversion, non-chrome pretreatments, organic coatings, and plating on aluminum all require different assumptions and controls.

For Finishing.com readers, this aluminum anodizing book connects directly to common questions about Type II anodizing, hardcoat, dyeing, sealing, white spots, smut, burning, dimensional change, stripping and re-anodizing, bright dipping, chromic acid anodizing, sulfuric acid anodizing, conversion coatings, and paint pretreatment. It is relevant to job shops, architects, aerospace suppliers, product designers, quality engineers, and anyone trying to understand why aluminum finishes behave differently from steel or brass finishes.

This page is also a buying guide. If you are searching for The Surface Treatment and Finishing of Aluminum and its Alloys, confirm the edition, authors, ISBN, and whether the listing is for one volume or a complete set. The 6th edition is associated with Sheasby & Pinner, while the 5th edition is associated with Wernick, Pinner & Sheasby and the 4th with Wernick & Pinner. Because this is a large, specialized reference, marketplace listings can be confusing unless the seller clearly states edition and volume details.

Older editions should still be compared with current specifications, environmental rules, and modern supplier recommendations, especially where chromates, sealing systems, and architectural requirements are involved. Even so, the technical foundation remains valuable. A serious aluminum surface treatment reference helps readers see anodizing as part of a complete finishing system, from alloy selection and pretreatment through coating formation, coloring, sealing, testing, and service performance.

Related Finishing.com Resources

• Search Finishing.com for aluminum anodizing – Find related Finishing.com discussions and archive references for aluminum anodizing.
• Introduction to Anodizing of Aluminum – Related Finishing.com FAQ on anodizing processes and terminology.

External Resources

• WorldCat search for ISBN 0904477231 – Library catalog search for matching records and editions.
• Google Books search for ISBN 0904477231 – Book search for alternate bibliographic records.