Anodising is one of many types of surface treatment used to improve the appearance and durability of various metals. It is often used on aluminium, making it stronger and more durable and improving its appearance.
1. Anodising adds a hard oxide barrier to a metal surface
An anodising treatment from a surface treatment specialist such as www.poeton.co.uk/surface-treatments/anodising involves placing a cleaned piece of metal, most often aluminium, in an electrolyte bath. An electric current is applied with a positive charge to the metal and a negative charge to the plate. This causes a movement of ions, with their interaction with the metal surface creating a layer of metal oxide that works as a barrier to protect against further reactions, corrosion, or damage and improve durability.
2. You can change the colour of the metal
In addition to the practicalities, metal can be anodised for aesthetic reasons. Pigment added during the process penetrates deep into the pores, meaning you cannot remove the colour by simply wiping or scratching the surface. The surface will also have a distinctive metallic shine due to the way the light reflects off the different layers.
3. Not only aluminium
Aluminium may be the most common metal to undergo anodising treatment, most likely due to its large number of commercial applications, but it is by no means the only one. Titanium, tungsten, magnesium, and even some types of plastic with conductive properties have also been anodised.
4. You cannot anodise a complete item
Only the parts of the item submerged in the electrolyte will undergo the anodising reaction, but you will need some kind of holder to keep it in place. The point where the holder meets the item will be blocked from the electrolyte and therefore not anodised. You need to plan for this when deciding to anodise an item.
You can use anodising to strengthen and colour a variety of metals, enabling them to be used for a wider range of purposes. This makes anodising a highly valuable treatment, although it is not appropriate in all situations.
