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What is hardcoat anodizing?

This can be a vague term, but usually hardcoat refers to a very thick and hard anodic coating. This kind of anodizing is accomplished with a bath similar to the standard sulfuric process, but with the temperature reduced to about…

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What is a conversion coating?

A conversion coating is a chemical treatment applied to aluminum. It is sometimes known as “passivating”, “chrome phosphate” or “alodine.” Chrome-free conversion coatings are now available. This is usually done prior to painting or applying an adhesive, and is accomplished by immersing…

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Is the anodic coating a good electrical insulator?

If you have an application where electrical conductivity is important, you should test an actual production run for this characteristic. You should also make sure that the anodizer knows this is a design parameter for your application. The dielectric strength…

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Is anodizing environmentally friendly?

Yes. Anodized aluminum is often used on cookware. (However, FDA approval depends on the anodizer and on the process. SAF is not FDA approved on any of our anodizing processes.) In contrast to the electroplating process, it is not difficult…

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Is alloy important if I plan to have my aluminum painted?

Yes. According to the Aluminum Extruder’s Council, alloys 6061, 6105 and 6063 are best suited to painted applications. Since painting is obviously quite different from anodizing, keep your metal supplier informed of your finishing requirements. This will result in better…

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