How To Anodize Aluminium

The process of anodizing aluminium is one that is often used as a high quality way of finishing and colouring the metal. As aluminium is used for various applications in our lives (such as cars, motorbikes, cooking utensils, windows and doors), there are times when we want the metal to look a little different to its usual silver self. This is why you should consider anodizing your aluminium if you want to finish your metal in a way that will make it strong and durable. You will need to begin by preparing the solution you will need for the anodizing process: mix together 7 parts sulfuric acid with 3 parts water in a rubber bucket, ensuring that the solution will be deep enough to submerge the aluminium item you wish to anodize. Then, you can charge the solution by putting both ends of 12-volt charger into it. Thoroughly clean the aluminium item that you wish to anodize – use a soft, thick brush dipped into liquid soap and warm distilled water to scrub at any dirt or grease that may be on the metal’s surface. Use a clean cloth to dry the surface of the aluminium and the first stage of cleaning is complete. For the second stage, you will need to clean the aluminium with a mixture of a quarter of a cup of nitric acid and 4 litres of water. Soak the aluminium in this solution for at least half an hour before rinsing with distilled water to remove on remaining acid. Now, you can submerge the aluminium item in the anodizing solution that you prepared earlier. You need to ensure that the entire surface is complete covered with liquid and that the negative end of the battery charger doesn’t touch the metal at any point. Heat the anodizing solution to about 21 degrees Celsius and leave the aluminium in the solution like this for at least an hour. Remove the aluminium from the anodizing solution and rinse it with either boiling or distilled water; this will stop the oxidization process. If you wanted to dye your aluminium, you will need to complete the following steps: begin by preparing a dye solution by mixing together 2 parts water with 1 part fabric dye in a colour of your choice. Heat this solution to about 32 degrees Celsius and then place the aluminium item into it. Leave the metal in the dye solution for around 30 minutes, during which time you will need to slowly increase the temperature until it reaches about 60 degrees Celsius. Remove the aluminium from the solution and rinse with either boiling or distilled water. To finish, place the aluminium into an oven to dry, ensuring that the oven is set to its lowest heat setting. The heat in the oven only has to be warm, as this is all that is needed to cause the dry to set gradually.