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Anodized aluminum
- Thread starter pst pjc
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2001
- Messages
- 3,709
Anodised aluminium will certainly reveal the silver metal underneatf when scratched. I have a few scratches and scuffs on my Benchmade Pinnacle's titanium handle, but it isn't anodised.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2000
- Messages
- 53
Here's what I remember off the top of my head; I'm sure someone will give you a more authoritative answer:
The processes are vaguely similar, but there are differences. With titanium, I believe the process achieves colors primarily by changing the surface texture, producing the different colors indirectly. With aluminum, you actually have to mix dyes in to achieve the desired color. Anodized aluminum is generally harder than anodized titanium, particularly when better quality aluminum is used. So, the aluminum is more scratch proof, particularly the level-III level anodization, which is several times harder than level-II, the more common variety (still, I think, usually harder than titanium).
I have the vague impression that with aluminum there is also some variation in how deep the anodization goes, which affects how scratch prone it is.
I don't believe you can anodize just any metal, though there are other ways to add colors to steel, for example.
The processes are vaguely similar, but there are differences. With titanium, I believe the process achieves colors primarily by changing the surface texture, producing the different colors indirectly. With aluminum, you actually have to mix dyes in to achieve the desired color. Anodized aluminum is generally harder than anodized titanium, particularly when better quality aluminum is used. So, the aluminum is more scratch proof, particularly the level-III level anodization, which is several times harder than level-II, the more common variety (still, I think, usually harder than titanium).
I have the vague impression that with aluminum there is also some variation in how deep the anodization goes, which affects how scratch prone it is.
I don't believe you can anodize just any metal, though there are other ways to add colors to steel, for example.
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2001
- Messages
- 1,742
Both Ti and Alum are anodized in vaguely similar manners, meaning that both use a bath under current. But that is where any simlarity stops.
For ti, the bath is trisodiumphosphate (TSP). In anodizing ti no color is really added. What you are doing is adding a clear coating of ti oxide. This coating acts as a filter by using what is called interrupting colors. All of the color spectrum enters the ti oxide bounces off the ti and is filtered as it leaves. You vary color by regulating how thick the oxide is. For ti you use a very low fixed current and a varing voltage from about 20vdc-135vdc.
Alum uses a set current and a set voltage (2amp 12vac). The bath is normally a delution of sulfuric acid (battery acid). The alum become coated in a layer of semi porruos clear oxide. The piece is them submermged in a warm dye and then sealed by using one of several methods (steam, chemical, boiling water).
There are several types of alum anodizing. Most anodizing done on knife parts will be of the hard coat version. In which case the hardness of the coating is far above the steel of the knife blade. But it will still scratch and will still rub off.
For ti, the bath is trisodiumphosphate (TSP). In anodizing ti no color is really added. What you are doing is adding a clear coating of ti oxide. This coating acts as a filter by using what is called interrupting colors. All of the color spectrum enters the ti oxide bounces off the ti and is filtered as it leaves. You vary color by regulating how thick the oxide is. For ti you use a very low fixed current and a varing voltage from about 20vdc-135vdc.
Alum uses a set current and a set voltage (2amp 12vac). The bath is normally a delution of sulfuric acid (battery acid). The alum become coated in a layer of semi porruos clear oxide. The piece is them submermged in a warm dye and then sealed by using one of several methods (steam, chemical, boiling water).
There are several types of alum anodizing. Most anodizing done on knife parts will be of the hard coat version. In which case the hardness of the coating is far above the steel of the knife blade. But it will still scratch and will still rub off.
- Joined
- May 9, 2000
- Messages
- 29,205
Thanks R.W. that is an excellent explanation and in those few words you have taught me something I did not previously know.